Gaining ground in pursuit of supercritical geothermal energy

Progress is being made on the exploration of supercritical geothermal as a potential energy source, with a governance group established and potential drilling sites being identified.

The choice of sites will be based on rigorous data, scientific research, and engineering experience. The location of the first exploratory well site is expected to be finalised later this year.

The Coalition Government has ringfenced $60 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund to invest in exploring the potential of supercritical geothermal technology to help secure New Zealand’s future energy needs.

An exploratory deep well needs to be drilled to prove the commercial viability of supercritical geothermal energy. Drilling is about a year away but engineers are getting closer to locating potential geothermal fields in the Taupō Volcanic Zone.