Characteristics and prospect of geothermal industry in China under the“dual carbon”target

Geothermal energy utilization in China had been promoted actively during the 13^(th)Five-Year Plan period(2016-2020),with resultant achievements showing unique Chinese characteristics.Buildings(measured by areas)heated/cooled by intermediate-to-deep geothermal energy increased more rapidly than those by shallow geothermal energy.Geothermal power generation was restricted by the distribution of the resource and the sufficiency of local power supply.With the proposition of“dual carbon goal”by the central government of China and the coming era of great development of renewable energy,geothermal energy will be provided more development opportunities in room heating/cooling and power generation in the country ever than before.However,tackling technology bottlenecks and introduction of appropriate policy support are still urgently needed for nurturing a healthy environment for geothermal industry.Analysis suggests that a near-to medium-term development of geothermal energy shall be focused on a comprehensive and efficient utilization both through heating/cooling and power generation.Room heating/cooling by intermediate-to-deep and shallow geothermal energy shall be promoted nationwide according to local resource endowment and economic conditions.Geothermal power generation in Yunnan and Tibet shall be pushed forward in an orderly way.For medium-and long-term development,focus shall be put on power generation by using low to medium temperature geothermal energy and hot dry rocks.The"hot spring+"model shall be adapted in steps on a regular basis.To achieve these,measures including attaching importance to tackling key technologies,promoting standards for geothermal energy development and utilization,strengthening geothermal energy exploration and evaluation,and seeking for necessary policy support shall be taken.

Strategic analysis of China’s geothermal energy industry

China is an early user of geothermal energy,and its direct use ranks first in the world.Recent national strategies and policies have enabled China’s geothermal energy industry to enter a new era with important development opportunities.This paper investigates the strengths,weaknesses,opportunities,and threats(SWOT)to China’s geothermal energy industry from political,economic,social,and technological(PEST)perspectives.SWOT–PEST analysis indicates that the resources,market,and technological foundation exist for the large-scale development of China’s geothermal energy industry.However,it experiences constraints,such as unclear resource distributions,incomplete development of government regulations,incomplete implementation of national policies,unclear authority between governmental administrative systems,and lack of uniform technical standards and codes.Therefore,future development strategies have been proposed to provide technical support and policy tools for geothermal energy development.The recommendations to ensure its healthy and sustainable development include improving resource exploration,rationalizing administration systems,enhancing policy guidance and financial support,and cultivating geothermal talent.