Superhot Rock Geothermal in Switzerland

The document highlights that just 1% of Switzerland's estimated superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 20 GW of energy capacity, generating over 167,836 GWh of electricity. This amount is more than three times the country's 2021 electricity consumption of 66,039 GWh. Utilizing this resource could theoretically replace all coal and gas used for electricity production, reducing carbon emissions by approximately 3 megatonnes, which represents 10% of Switzerland's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) goal. Additionally, the technology could eliminate the need for all natural gas and electricity imports, improving energy independence. Superhot rock geothermal is noted for its high energy density, requiring roughly 12 km² of land per 1 GW, significantly less than solar (180 km²), natural gas (160 km²), offshore wind (520 km²), or biomass (14,000 km²).

• Preliminary modelling indicates that 1% of Switzerland's superhot rock geothermal resource has the capacity to provide 20 GW of energy, which could generate more than 167,836 GWh of electricity. This is approximately three times the electricity consumption of Switzerland in 2021, which was 66,039 GWh.
• The deployment of superhot rock geothermal could significantly contribute to Switzerland's climate goals by replacing all coal and gas used in electricity production. This would reduce carbon emissions by about 3 megatonnes, equivalent to 10% of the country's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) goal, although the technology is not expected to reach commercial scale by 2030.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Superhot Rock Geothermal in Switzerland. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22145149/Switzerland-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Superhot Rock Geothermal in Switzerland. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22145149/Switzerland-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Superhot Rock Geothermal in Switzerland |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22145149/Switzerland-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 Switzerland}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22145149/Switzerland-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }