Geothermal drilling breakthrough in east China boosts green transition

A record-breaking geothermal well has been successfully drilled in the Yellow River Delta region in eastern China, offering significant potential for green power generation and industrial use.

On Friday, the Shandong Provincial Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources announced the completion of a geothermal well with a bottom-hole temperature of 162 degrees Celsius and a wellhead water temperature of 138 degrees Celsius – the highest temperature on record for a hydrothermal-geothermal well in eastern China.

Zhang Yunfeng, head of the Shandong Provincial Geo-mineral Engineering Exploration Institute, said the well's stable thermal power is estimated at 21.57 megawatts. If used for power generation, it could produce around 25,200 kilowatt-hours of electricity daily, sufficient to meet the daily needs of nearly 10,000 residents.

Alternatively, the well could supply approximately 94,000 tonnes of steam for industrial applications annually, replacing about 18,800 tonnes of coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 48,900 tonnes.

After power generation or industrial use, the remaining warm water – at about 80 degrees Celsius – could provide centralized heating for residential areas totaling nearly 2 million square meters. Subsequent lower-temperature residual heat – near 60 degrees Celsius – could support large-scale smart greenhouses or aquaculture projects.

Geothermal energy is a stable, low-carbon renewable resource with substantial reserves and high efficiency. China has long maintained the world's leading position in the scale of direct geothermal energy utilization.

"We will continue exploration to expand the application of geothermal energy in green power generation, industrial steam supply, heating and agriculture, thereby supporting both public well-being and sustainable economic growth," Zhang said.