Superhot Rock Geothermal in Vanuatu

The document highlights superhot rock geothermal as an emerging, energy-dense renewable source that could provide firm power globally. In Vanuatu, preliminary modeling suggests that just 1% of the country's superhot rock resource could provide 6 GW of energy capacity, equivalent to 27 million barrels of oil. While unlikely to reach commercial scale by Vanuatu's 2030 goal of nearly 100% renewable electricity, the technology offers significant land-use efficiency, requiring only 12 km² per 1 GW compared to much larger footprints for solar or wind. The document argues that developing this resource could reduce energy poverty, create jobs in engineering and geology, and attract foreign investment to Vanuatu.

• Superhot rock geothermal is an emerging technology that differs from traditional geothermal by reaching kilometers deeper into the earth and not requiring natural underground water sources, which potentially makes it viable worldwide.
• Preliminary modeling indicates that Vanuatu possesses substantial superhot rock resources; specifically, 1% of these resources could provide 6 GW of energy capacity, generating over 46,519 GWh of electricity, which is equivalent to 27 million barrels of oil.
• Superhot rock geothermal is highly energy-dense with a significantly lower land footprint than other energy sources, requiring approximately 12 km² to produce 1 GW, whereas solar requires 180 km², offshore wind 520 km², and biomass 14,000 km².

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Superhot Rock Geothermal in Vanuatu. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22145244/Vanuatu-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Superhot Rock Geothermal in Vanuatu. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22145244/Vanuatu-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Superhot Rock Geothermal in Vanuatu |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22145244/Vanuatu-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 Vanuatu}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22145244/Vanuatu-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }