Australian Governments’ Support for Geothermal Development

Abstract

Security of energy supply and pricing in addition to a desire for low-emission energy sources are driving interest in the development of a geothermal energy industry in Australia. Traditionally Australia has been regarded as having very limited geothermal potential. It is only relatively recently that the potential for Hot Rock and Hot Sedimentary Aquifer systems has started to be quantified. The realization that parts of the Australian crust are anomalously hot at accessible depths came via compilations of bottom-hole temperatures from petroleum drilling produced by the Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics (now Geoscience Australia) in the late 1980-90s. This work was followed up at the Australian National University and directly resulted in development work at Innamincka (Cooper Basin, South Australia) by Geodynamics Limited.
Various Governments in Australia are supporting the rapid growth of a new geothermal industry through development grants, research and development programs, and provision of precompetitive geoscience information, amongst other activities.