China's deepest geothermal well ready for utilization

China's deepest geothermal exploration well, Fushenre-1, was completed on Wednesday and is now ready for utilization, marking a milestone in the country's efforts to explore underground renewable energy to advance its carbon reduction goals.

Located in the southern island province of Hainan, the well has reached an impressive subterranean depth of 5,200 meters, penetrating a granite formation that is 250 million years old.

Within this ancient structure, a geothermal resource with temperatures exceeding 188 degrees Celsius has been discovered, representing a significant step forward for the region's renewable energy potential.

Geothermal energy is a stable, low-carbon form of renewable energy with large reserves and widespread distribution, said Guo Xusheng, chief geologist of China's state-owned energy firm Sinopec.

After successful drilling in April, Sinopec managed to fracture the rock, inject cold water and extract heat. The well is now poised to be developed into a research platform for the industrial transformation of high-temperature geothermal resources.

Before this development, the utilization of geothermal resources in China primarily focused on shallow and medium-depth wells. Sinopec has already established nearly 100 million square meters of geothermal heating capacity and has constructed several regional geothermal heating projects.