Superhot Rock Geothermal in New Zealand

The document highlights that just 1% of New Zealand's superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 72 GW of capacity, far exceeding the country's 2021 electricity consumption of 44,606 GWh. This resource could theoretically replace all coal, oil, and gas used for electricity production, reducing emissions by approximately 6 megatonnes of CO2eq and enhancing energy security by replacing coal imports, primarily from Indonesia. Additionally, superhot rock geothermal is noted for its low land footprint, requiring roughly 12 km² per 1 GW, and its ability to leverage New Zealand's existing conventional geothermal expertise.

• Preliminary modeling indicates that New Zealand possesses significant superhot rock resources; specifically, 1% of this resource could provide 72 GW of energy capacity and generate over 597,732 GWh of electricity.
• The potential energy from 1% of New Zealand's superhot rock resource is estimated to be 13 times the country's 2021 electricity consumption of 44,606 GWh.
• Superhot rock geothermal could improve New Zealand's energy security by replacing fossil fuel imports, such as the 58% of coal currently imported primarily from Indonesia.
• Superhot rock geothermal is highly energy-dense with a low land-use footprint, requiring approximately 12 km² per 1 GW, which is significantly lower than natural gas (160 km²), solar (180 km²), offshore wind (520 km²), or biomass (14,000 km²).

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Superhot Rock Geothermal in New Zealand. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144953/New-Zealand-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Superhot Rock Geothermal in New Zealand. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144953/New-Zealand-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Superhot Rock Geothermal in New Zealand |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144953/New-Zealand-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforcendsuperhot, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Superhot Rock Geothermal in New Zealand}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144953/New-Zealand-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }