Superhot Rock Geothermal in Timor-Leste

The document highlights Timor-Leste's significant superhot rock geothermal resources, noting that just 1% of its endowment could provide 10 GW of energy capacity. It argues that this technology offers a low-land-footprint alternative to other energy sources and provides a transition pathway for the country's oil and gas workforce.

• Preliminary modeling by the Clean Air Task Force and the University of Twente indicates that Timor-Leste possesses substantial superhot rock resources; specifically, 1% of these resources could provide 10 GW of energy capacity, generating over 85,629 GWh of electricity, which is equivalent to 50 million barrels of oil.
• Superhot rock geothermal is characterized as an energy-dense resource with significantly lower land requirements than other energy sources. Producing 1 GW of superhot rock geothermal is estimated to require approximately 12 km² of land, whereas natural gas requires 160 km², solar 180 km², offshore wind 520 km², and biomass 14,000 km².
• The technology could facilitate a just transition for Timor-Leste's economy by leveraging existing subsurface expertise and assets from the oil and gas sector, allowing geoscientists, mechanics, and electricians to move into zero-carbon energy production.
• Beyond electricity, superhot rock geothermal can support the production of low-carbon hydrogen for heavy industry and improve public health by reducing pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter associated with fossil fuel combustion.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Superhot Rock Geothermal in Timor-Leste. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22145213/Timor-Leste-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Superhot Rock Geothermal in Timor-Leste. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22145213/Timor-Leste-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Superhot Rock Geothermal in Timor-Leste |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22145213/Timor-Leste-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 Timor-Leste}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22145213/Timor-Leste-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }