CV Africa Updated 2026-08-20

Cape Verde Geothermal Screening

Geothermal screening assessment identifies 59.7% prospective land reaching 185°C by 5.5 km depth in Cape Verde.

Key Geothermal Metrics

Land Reaching 185°C by 5.5 km High Potential
59.7%

Primary baseline screening criterion

Shallowest Depth to 200°C Very Shallow
2.1 km

Minimum drill depth for high enthalpy

Peak Temperature at 5 km Depth Superhot
314 °C

Maximum modeled temperature

Typical Geothermal Gradient Volcanic / Rift
66.6 °C/km

Average to 5 km depth (15°C surface)

Grid Connectable Prospective Area Moderate Distance
69.3%

Hot territory within 50 km transmission

Stored Heat In-Place (3–7 km) 1 ZJ = 10²¹ Joules
197 ZJ

Thermal volume in place (>80°C baseline)

Depth vs. Temperature Matrix (% Land Area)

Proportion of national territory exceeding target isotherm at specified depth

0.1° Inversion Grid
Isotherm 3.0 km 4.0 km 5.0 km 6.0 km 7.0 km 8.0 km
150°C 18.6% 46.5% 72.4% 98% 99% 100%
175°C 23.8% 46% 67.8% 85.3% 99% 100%
200°C 14.7% 34.8% 64.4% 90% 94.7% 100%
225°C 15% 34.2% 45.5% 63.8% 83.2% 100%
250°C 14.2% 22.2% 38.5% 52.5% 74% 84.1%

4-Stage Geothermal Resource & Infrastructure Funnel

Progressive screening from gross national territory down to grid-connected & populated prospective zones

1 Whole country
4 033 km² 100%
2 Reaches 185°C by 5.5 km
2 408 km² 59.7%
3 ...and within 50 km transmission
1 669 km² 41.4%
4 ...and within 100 km town
1 413 km² 39.2%

Geological Setting & Subsurface Parameters

Lithology, basement thickness, stress and thermal boundary constraints

Median Depth to 200°C Isotherm 4.6 km
Best 10th Percentile Depth to 200°C 3.1 km
Median Temperature at 5 km Depth 244.4 °C
Best 10th Percentile Temp at 5 km 283.4 °C
Median Sediment Thickness 0.1 km
Sediment / Hard-Rock Well Share 31.3%
Territory Under 1 km Sediment Cover 87.2%
Lithostatic Pressure at 5 km Depth 140.4 MPa
Moho Crustal Discontinuity Depth 24.2 km
Thermal Lithosphere Thickness 68.7 km
Curie Temperature Isotherm Depth 12.4 km
Model Temperature Spread Uncertainty (200°C) ±1.1 km

Transmission Grid & Demand Colocation

Infrastructure interconnectivity and urban power demand proximity

High-Voltage Transmission Network Length 2 680 km
Land Area Within 25 km of Grid 57.7%
Land Area Within 50 km of Grid 69.3%
Land Area Within 100 km of Grid 79%
Average Proximity to Nearest Substation / Line 8 km
Urban Centers (>10,000 Population) 23
Total Urban Population 2.3 M
Prospective Resource Colocated Near Demand (>1M Pop) 68.6%

Target Sensitivity & Deep EGS Upside

Sensitivity of prospective resource area to adjusted depth and temperature thresholds

150°C Baseline at 5.5 km 95.5% of national territory reaches 150°C at 5.5 km depth
185°C Baseline at 7.5 km 99% of national territory reaches 185°C at 7.5 km depth

Global Peer Benchmarking (vs. 278 Assessed Jurisdictions)

Relative ranking distribution of Cape Verde across 11 standardized geothermal indicators

Cape Verde Rank Global Peer Spread
Shallowest 200°C depth
2.1 km Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 84th percentile
Peak temp at 5 km
314 °C Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 86th percentile
Prospective land area (>185°C at 5.5 km)
59.7% Top 10%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 99th percentile
Stored heat in-place (3-7 km)
197 ZJ Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 72th percentile
Typical geothermal gradient
66.6 °C/km Top 10%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 95th percentile
Grid proximity (<50 km)
69.3% Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 69th percentile
Thin sediment coverage (<1 km)
87.2% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 87th percentile
Curie isotherm depth
12.4 km Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 73th percentile
Moho crustal thickness
24.2 km Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 56th percentile
Model temperature uncertainty spread
±0.9 km Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 65th percentile
Urban demand colocation
81.1% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 81th percentile
Asset-Level 3D Simulation Available

Need Interactive 3D Spatial Inversion for Cape Verde?

High-resolution 3D temperature cubes, localized Curie depth inversions, fault network stress tensors, and drilling capex curves for Cape Verde are accessible through our Premium & Enterprise subscription tiers.

Direct Founder Contact: founders@geothermalradar.com

Analytical Geothermal Assessment & Discussion: Cape Verde

Subsurface thermal interpretation, model uncertainty, infrastructure colocation, and resource quality analysis

Resource Overview

Geothermal assessment for Cape Verde indicates hotspot_oceanic geological controls governing subsurface heat transport, yielding 59.7% of land area reaching the baseline target of 185°C at 5.5 km depth.

Uncertainty & Model Variance

Thermal inversion across Cape Verde shows consistent model convergence with constrained standard deviations across deep crustal layers.

Grid & Infrastructure Colocation

National electrical transmission coverage positions approximately 69.3% of prospective geothermal ground within 50 km of existing high-voltage corridors.

Geological & Basement Setting

Subsurface lithology is characterized by hotspot oceanic dynamics with median sediment thickness of 0.1 km and crustal thickness of 24.2 km.

Stored Heat Volume

Accessible thermal energy in place between 3 km and 7 km depth above 80°C totals 197 Zettajoules (ZJ).

Peer Comparison

Benchmarked against 237 global assessment jurisdictions, Cape Verde demonstrates competitive positioning across heat flow, infrastructure, and basement competence indicators.

Target Sensitivity Analysis

Screening at 150°C baseline at 5.5 km increases prospective territory, demonstrating substantial deep EGS resource headroom.

Screening Methodology, Parameters & Limitations

This screening assessment for Cape Verde is generated from Geothermal Radar Data Pack 2026.1 utilizing global 0.1° hex-grid thermal inversion across 45 model cells (land area: 4 033 km²). Baseline prospective criterion is defined as reaching 185°C at or above 5.5 km depth with surface temperature normalized to 15°C.

  • Screening estimates represent regional-scale heat in place and do not replace localized 3D seismic or exploratory drilling.
  • Model uncertainties expand in regions with sparse deep boreholes and complex thrust fault kinematics.
  • Grid proximity indicators reflect line-of-sight distance to high-voltage transmission and do not account for local substation thermal capacity.
Need Detailed Asset-Level Due Diligence?

Access 3D temperature grids, drilling cost curves, and micro-siting GIS layers.

Request Full Technical Dossier