Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy is heat contained within the earth's crust that is derived from natural geological processes. Queensland has an abundance of untapped geothermal energy in the form of Hot Dry Rocks.
Hot Dry Rocks are usually found at depths greater than 3 kilometres below the earth's surface and can be in excess of 200 degrees Celsius. The heat energy contained within Hot Dry Rocks can be used in a variety of agricultural, industrial and domestic applications however, it has most recently attracted significant interest for its potential use as a clean source of energy for large-scale electricity generation.
An overview of geothermal energy can be found in NRMW fact sheet M7 (PDF, 171 kB).
Exploration for geothermal energy is carried out under the Geothermal Exploration Act 2004. This legislation is interim legislation to enable geothermal exploration to commence whilst work on legislation to enable geothermal production is undertaken.
Information is available on the current availability and requirements of making a tender for a Geothermal Exploration Permit including tender areas, assessment criteria, gazette notice and details of fees, closing date and lodgement address.
Guidelines have been produced for the geothermal energy industry to facilitate the implementation of the new geothermal exploration legislation. Guidelines have been prepared for the initial work program required for an exploration permit:
- Initial work programs (PDF, 134 kB)
Other languages