Superhot Rock Geothermal in Tajikistan

The document highlights that just 1% of Tajikistan's estimated superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 68 GW of energy capacity, far exceeding the country's 2021 electricity consumption of 20,719 GWh. This resource could potentially replace all coal, natural gas, and electricity imports, reducing electricity sector carbon emissions by approximately 2 megatonnes, which represents 32% of Tajikistan's Nationally Determined Contribution goal. While not expected to reach commercial scale by 2030, the technology is presented as a way to complement hydropower and improve air quality by reducing fossil fuel combustion.

• Preliminary modeling by the Clean Air Task Force and the University of Twente indicates that Tajikistan possesses significant superhot rock resources. Specifically, 1% of this resource could provide 68 GW of energy capacity and generate over 562,359 GWh of electricity, which is 27 times the country's 2021 electricity consumption.
• Superhot rock geothermal could significantly improve Tajikistan's energy independence by replacing imports of natural gas (which are primarily from Uzbekistan), coal, and electricity. Utilizing just 1% of the resource could eliminate the need for these imports for electricity production and reduce associated methane emissions.
• The adoption of superhot rock geothermal could contribute to Tajikistan's climate goals and public health. Replacing fossil fuels in the electricity sector could reduce carbon emissions by approximately 2 megatonnes, achieving 32% of the country's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) goal of 5.7 megatonnes by 2030, and improve air quality by reducing pollutants like nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide.
• Superhot rock geothermal is described as a 'clean firm power' source that operates 24/7, which would allow it to complement Tajikistan's existing hydropower resources and reduce the need for expensive backup generation or excessive transmission capacity.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Superhot Rock Geothermal in Tajikistan. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22145158/Tajikistan-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Superhot Rock Geothermal in Tajikistan. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22145158/Tajikistan-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Superhot Rock Geothermal in Tajikistan |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22145158/Tajikistan-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 Tajikistan}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22145158/Tajikistan-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }