MG Africa Updated 2026-08-20

Madagascar Geothermal Screening

Geothermal screening assessment identifies 67% prospective land reaching 185°C by 5.5 km depth in Madagascar.

Key Geothermal Metrics

Land Reaching 185°C by 5.5 km High Potential
67%

Primary baseline screening criterion

Shallowest Depth to 200°C Very Shallow
1.7 km

Minimum drill depth for high enthalpy

Peak Temperature at 5 km Depth Superhot
348.9 °C

Maximum modeled temperature

Typical Geothermal Gradient Volcanic / Rift
53.8 °C/km

Average to 5 km depth (15°C surface)

Grid Connectable Prospective Area Moderate Distance
72.1%

Hot territory within 50 km transmission

Stored Heat In-Place (3–7 km) 1 ZJ = 10²¹ Joules
397.8 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 30.7% 59.4% 91.1% 98% 99% 100%
175°C 22.7% 60.7% 82.4% 98% 99% 100%
200°C 18.8% 44.2% 81.5% 98% 99% 100%
225°C 24.9% 48% 71.4% 85.2% 99% 100%
250°C 19.6% 37.3% 64.9% 75.2% 99% 100%

4-Stage Geothermal Resource & Infrastructure Funnel

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

1 Whole country
587 041 km² 100%
2 Reaches 185°C by 5.5 km
393 317 km² 67%
3 ...and within 50 km transmission
283 582 km² 48.3%
4 ...and within 100 km town
268 604 km² 42%

Geological Setting & Subsurface Parameters

Lithology, basement thickness, stress and thermal boundary constraints

Median Depth to 200°C Isotherm 3.9 km
Best 10th Percentile Depth to 200°C 2.4 km
Median Temperature at 5 km Depth 275.9 °C
Best 10th Percentile Temp at 5 km 317 °C
Median Sediment Thickness 0.6 km
Sediment / Hard-Rock Well Share 42.9%
Territory Under 1 km Sediment Cover 96.8%
Lithostatic Pressure at 5 km Depth 141.3 MPa
Moho Crustal Discontinuity Depth 31.8 km
Thermal Lithosphere Thickness 73.3 km
Curie Temperature Isotherm Depth 15 km
Model Temperature Spread Uncertainty (200°C) ±0.8 km

Transmission Grid & Demand Colocation

Infrastructure interconnectivity and urban power demand proximity

High-Voltage Transmission Network Length 28 564 km
Land Area Within 25 km of Grid 61.5%
Land Area Within 50 km of Grid 72.1%
Land Area Within 100 km of Grid 84.8%
Average Proximity to Nearest Substation / Line 15.9 km
Urban Centers (>10,000 Population) 268
Total Urban Population 35.7 M
Prospective Resource Colocated Near Demand (>1M Pop) 52.5%

Target Sensitivity & Deep EGS Upside

Sensitivity of prospective resource area to adjusted depth and temperature thresholds

150°C Baseline at 5.5 km 98% 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 Madagascar across 11 standardized geothermal indicators

Madagascar Rank Global Peer Spread
Shallowest 200°C depth
1.7 km Top 10%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 90th percentile
Peak temp at 5 km
348.9 °C Top 10%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 99th percentile
Prospective land area (>185°C at 5.5 km)
67% Top 10%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 99th percentile
Stored heat in-place (3-7 km)
397.8 ZJ Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 81th percentile
Typical geothermal gradient
53.8 °C/km Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 77th percentile
Grid proximity (<50 km)
72.1% Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 72th percentile
Thin sediment coverage (<1 km)
96.8% Top 10%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 97th percentile
Curie isotherm depth
15 km Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 67th percentile
Moho crustal thickness
31.8 km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 43th percentile
Model temperature uncertainty spread
±1.5 km Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 58th percentile
Urban demand colocation
31.7% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 64th percentile
Asset-Level 3D Simulation Available

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Analytical Geothermal Assessment & Discussion: Madagascar

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

Resource Overview

Geothermal assessment for Madagascar indicates rift_volcanic geological controls governing subsurface heat transport, yielding 67% of land area reaching the baseline target of 185°C at 5.5 km depth.

Uncertainty & Model Variance

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

Grid & Infrastructure Colocation

National electrical transmission coverage positions approximately 72.1% of prospective geothermal ground within 50 km of existing high-voltage corridors.

Geological & Basement Setting

Subsurface lithology is characterized by rift volcanic dynamics with median sediment thickness of 0.6 km and crustal thickness of 31.8 km.

Stored Heat Volume

Accessible thermal energy in place between 3 km and 7 km depth above 80°C totals 397.8 Zettajoules (ZJ).

Peer Comparison

Benchmarked against 237 global assessment jurisdictions, Madagascar 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 Madagascar is generated from Geothermal Radar Data Pack 2026.1 utilizing global 0.1° hex-grid thermal inversion across 6 523 model cells (land area: 587 041 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.
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