Powering the future of energy
Decarbonization anywhere through deep geothermal
About Superhot Rock Energy
The future of energy is superhot
Superhot rock energy is a new form of geothermal energy with extraordinary potential. This renewable energy source could provide 24/7 power nearly anywhere in the world at the scale of conventional fossil fuels, with none of the harmful emissions. Commercial-scale superhot rock energy (SHR) would revolutionize the grid, enabling a transition away from polluting fossil energy toward a clean, abundant energy future.
We face an immense climate challenge, and meeting it requires a transition to carbon-free energy. At the same time, the world will need vast amounts of reliable, always-available, clean energy to adequately support the current and future energy demand of a constantly growing global population.
Superhot rock energy could help meet this dual challenge, playing a transformative role in a prosperous, carbon-free global economy.
The benefits of superhot rock energy:
Renewable & Clean
Superhot rock energy draws on the Earth’s limitless heat and is free of the toxic air pollutants emitted by fossil fuels.
Accessible Anytime, Anywhere
Because superhot rock energy relies on Earth’s heat, it could supply reliable energy 24/7 almost anywhere on earth – enhancing regional energy security while requiring less land than any other energy source.
Preserves & Creates Jobs
Superhot rock energy has the potential to repurpose the fossil fuel workforce and infrastructure, ensuring a just transition for workers, communities, and local economies.
Catalyzes New Low-Carbon Markets
As a potential inexhaustible source of low-cost energy, superhot rock energy could enable new technologies possible in hard-to-decarbonize markets: green hydrogen, desalination, data management for artificial intelligence, and more.
Affordable
At commercial scale, superhot rock energy could cost the same as – or even less than – energy from other sources, allowing it to be competitive in unsubsidized markets.
How It Works
Superhot rock geothermal energy, explained
Superhot rock is a new energy source that can be accessed using various technologies and approaches.
The Basics
Superhot rock energy works like an underground radiator. Water is pumped down one well and travels through hot underground rocks. Once the water has absorbed heat from the rocks, it travels back to the surface through another well. At the surface, the hot water creates steam, which can be used in industrial processes or to turn a turbine and generate electricity. The steam then cools down and turns back into a liquid, which can be pumped back underground to keep the cycle going.
Traditional Geothermal vs Superhot Rock
Geothermal energy has been used for centuries to generate heat and power, but conventional geothermal relies on pockets of hot water that already exist underground. These hot water reservoirs are relatively rare and difficult to locate. One critical innovation of superhot rock energy is that water is introduced from aboveground rather than being limited to locations with hot underground water. By removing the need to locate naturally occurring water reservoirs, superhot rock energy becomes possible anywhere: heat exists everywhere, if you drill deep enough!
Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS)
In enhanced geothermal systems, water is pumped down a well and travels through the pores and fractures within underground rocks, touching them directly.
Closed-Loop Geothermal Systems (CLGS)
In closed-loop geothermal systems, water travels through underground enclosed pathways, never coming into direct contact with rock. Instead, heat travels through the walls of the pipe and into the water.
KNOWLEDGE & DATA SHARING
Geothermal Frontier
This is an integrated knowledge and data sharing platform that aggregates global datasets on institutional research capacity and country-level geothermal profiles. It is designed to support cross-sector collaboration and the advancement of next-generation geothermal technologies. The platform facilitates access to structured data, technical insights, and networked expertise to accelerate the development of higher-enthalpy resources and drive cost-competitive deployment at scale.
Geothermal Anywhere
Exploring unparalleled energy potential
Superhot rock energy is energy extracted via heat from subsurface rocks at or above 400°C. At this temperature, water shifts into a new phase that is capable of both absorbing and transporting exponentially more energy to the surface. This map from Clean Air Task Force shows the estimated depths necessary to reach 450°C across the world, as well as existing and planned superhot rock projects and wells.
At depths of only 10 kilometers, superhot rock energy is available across every continent on Earth, creating immense possibilities for widespread access to clean, renewable energy.
Innovation & Opportunities
What’s needed to deploy superhot rock?
Key innovations are needed to unlock the widespread deployment of superhot rock energy. Fortunately, the innovations needed to commercialize this energy resource do not require a scientific breakthrough. Rather, incremental improvements in existing technologies should be adequate to enable production of superhot rock energy. Furthermore, scientists and engineers around the world are already hard at work to address technical challenges. Commercializing superhot rock energy is within our reach – as long as we provide enough political and financial support to overcome today’s technical limitations.
Key innovations needed
Key success factors
Collaboration
Successful development of superhot rock energy will require innovation and data-gathering from governments, industry, and research institutions around the world. Collaboration and knowledge-sharing is necessary to spur progress.
Education
Despite superhot rock energy’s potential, most policymakers, energy companies, and citizens haven’t heard of it. Greater knowledge of superhot rock is crucial to accelerate research and investment in this energy source. We cannot plan for something we cannot visualize.
Funding
An intensive drilling and resource development program is needed to rapidly commercialize superhot rock energy. Leveraging subsurface expertise and globally-deployed assets within the existing energy and oil and gas industries could accelerate the development of superhot rock energy systems, enabling them to deploy on a timescale that is meaningful.
Policy
Superhot rock is a new energy source, and targeted policy efforts are needed to provide funding and facilitate data accessibility. Global regulatory needs should be anticipated early on to provide a roadmap for superhot rock energy developers while generating confidence among policymakers and the public that these projects will be safe and environmentally-friendly.