The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) has announced a US$30mn programme to increase geothermal power production by unlocking superhot reservoirs deep within the Earth.
Currently, geothermal baseload production in the U.S. is limited to 4 gigawatts (GW). ARPA-E’s Stimulate Utilization of Plentiful Energy in Rocks through High-temperature Original Technologies (SUPERHOT) programme aims to provide access to superhot reservoirs capable of producing 10-20 GW of reliable baseload power at a competitive cost.
“Geothermal is a reliable and secure baseload power source, but today we are only able to access a fraction of the energy it can provide,” said ARPA-E Director Evelyn N. Wang. “SUPERHOT projects can change that and allow access to hotter reservoirs to create more domestic flow of energy onto America’s grid.”
The SUPERHOT programme will explore modification of conventional well designs or completely novel designs, materials, and materials systems that satisfy requirements to survive superhot conditions. SUPERHOT’s goals are to develop robust geothermal well construction capable of a 15-year operational life and enable transfer of heat from the surrounding geologic formation to the well. Projects will seek to enable access to resources with temperatures greater than 375 °C and pressures greater than 22 megapascals.
“Today’s announcement to dedicate federal resources to superhot rock geothermal research and development is an important moment for American innovation and energy leadership. SHR has the potential to deliver an affordable, homegrown source of clean firm electricity to meet growing demand 24/7,” said Terra Rogers, Director for Superhot Rock Geothermal at Clean Air Task Force (CATF). “We support DOE in recognising the potential of this transformative energy source and investing in critical research areas like heat extraction and well construction that are aligned with priorities CATF identified as essential to deployment. This programme represents growing momentum for SHR and will be critical to overcoming technical barriers and reaching commercialisation at a meaningful pace.”
According to CATF's modelling, just 1% of the United States’ superhot rock geothermal potential could produce 4.3 terawatts of clean firm power – over 1,000 times the current installed geothermal capacity. Developing this transformative clean energy resource through ARPA-E’s program would strengthen America’s energy security, reduce emissions, provide reliable baseload power for a more resilient grid, and maintain U.S. technological leadership in an emerging global market for superhot rock geothermal technology.