Hot Rocks have potential to fuel competitive, emission free and renewable electricity for centuries to come. This potential is stimulating Enhanced (Engineered) Geothermal Systems projects worldwide, calling upon integrated expertise from the petroleum, minerals and power industries.

Converting just 1% of Australia’s estimated Hot Rock crustal energy to electricity, from temperatures above 150°C and depths below 5 km (190 million PJ) would supply 26,000 years of Australia’s primary power use, and that neither takes into account the renewable characteristics of hot rocks, nor resources below 5,000m.

Factors that distinguish Australian Hot Rock resources are: (1) Very radioactive granites are abundant, as in South Australia where the mean heat flow is 92́Wm-2 compared to a global continental average of 51́Wm-2 ; and (2) Australia is converging with Indonesia on a plate scale – giving rise to common, naturally occurring sub-horizontally fractured basement rocks that are susceptible to hydraulic fracture stimulation.

Australia’s geothermal projects are focused on both Hot Rocks to develop Enhanced (Engineered) Geothermal Systems and associated Hot Sedimentary Aquifer plays to fuel binary power plants. In addition to meeting demand for base load power, mining, desalinisation and drying processes are also markets for geothermal energy.

In the term January 2000 through December 2008, companies have applied for 385 licence areas (covering 359,723 km2) to progress proof-of-concept amagmatic Hot Rock and Hot Sedimentary Aquifer projects in Australia. In the term 2002 through 2008, more than Aus$325 million (US$228 million) has been spent on studies, geophysical surveys, drilling, reservoir stimulation and flow tests that comprise the work programs required to sustain tenure in geothermal licences areas. In the term 2002-2013, investment for Australian proof-of-concept geothermal projects is expected to exceed Aus$1,523 million (US$1,066 million).

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