Superhot Rock Geothermal in Papua New Guinea

The document highlights the immense potential of superhot rock geothermal energy in Papua New Guinea, noting that just 1% of its resource could provide 358 GW of energy capacity. While not expected to reach commercial scale in time for the country's 2030 NDC goals, the technology is presented as a long-term solution for clean firm power, efficient land use, and a transition pathway for the existing oil and gas workforce.

• Preliminary modeling indicates that Papua New Guinea possesses significant superhot rock resources; specifically, 1% of this resource has the potential to provide 358 GW of energy capacity, which could generate over 2,976,348 GWh of electricity.
• Superhot rock geothermal is characterized as an energy-dense resource with very low land requirements. Producing 1 GW of this energy is estimated to require roughly 12 km² of land, which is significantly less than natural gas (160 km²), solar (180 km²), offshore wind (520 km²), and biomass (14,000 km²).
• The technology could facilitate a transition for Papua New Guinea's oil and gas sector, as subsurface expertise and assets, as well as roles for geoscientists, mechanics, and electricians, are transferable to the superhot rock industry.
• Although superhot rock geothermal is viewed as a potential enabler for Papua New Guinea's long-term low-carbon strategy and its goal to be carbon neutral by 2050, it is not expected to reach commercial scale in time to support the country's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) goal of 78% renewable electricity generation by 2030.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Superhot Rock Geothermal in Papua New Guinea. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22145027/Papua-New-Guinea-Regional-Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Superhot Rock Geothermal in Papua New Guinea. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22145027/Papua-New-Guinea-Regional-Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Superhot Rock Geothermal in Papua New Guinea |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22145027/Papua-New-Guinea-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 Papua New Guinea}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22145027/Papua-New-Guinea-Regional-Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }