NA Africa Updated 2026-08-20

Namibia Geothermal Screening

Geothermal screening assessment identifies 1.4% prospective land reaching 185°C by 5.5 km depth in Namibia.

Key Geothermal Metrics

Land Reaching 185°C by 5.5 km Low Prospect
1.4%

Primary baseline screening criterion

Shallowest Depth to 200°C Deep Target
6 km

Minimum drill depth for high enthalpy

Peak Temperature at 5 km Depth Direct Heat
128.4 °C

Maximum modeled temperature

Typical Geothermal Gradient Continental Normal
26 °C/km

Average to 5 km depth (15°C surface)

Grid Connectable Prospective Area Moderate Distance
78.1%

Hot territory within 50 km transmission

Stored Heat In-Place (3–7 km) 1 ZJ = 10²¹ Joules
125.4 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 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 0.3% 0.4% 0.5%
175°C 0.1% 0.1%
200°C
225°C
250°C

4-Stage Geothermal Resource & Infrastructure Funnel

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

1 Whole country
825 615 km² 100%
2 Reaches 185°C by 5.5 km
11 559 km² 1.4%
3 ...and within 50 km transmission
9 028 km² 1.1%
4 ...and within 100 km town
8 535 km² 1%

Geological Setting & Subsurface Parameters

Lithology, basement thickness, stress and thermal boundary constraints

Median Depth to 200°C Isotherm 8.6 km
Best 10th Percentile Depth to 200°C 6.7 km
Median Temperature at 5 km Depth 83.7 °C
Best 10th Percentile Temp at 5 km 109.9 °C
Median Sediment Thickness 0.1 km
Sediment / Hard-Rock Well Share 35.1%
Territory Under 1 km Sediment Cover 86.4%
Lithostatic Pressure at 5 km Depth 138 MPa
Moho Crustal Discontinuity Depth 42 km
Thermal Lithosphere Thickness 115.1 km
Curie Temperature Isotherm Depth 33.8 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 21 503 km
Land Area Within 25 km of Grid 60.8%
Land Area Within 50 km of Grid 78.1%
Land Area Within 100 km of Grid 91.6%
Average Proximity to Nearest Substation / Line 23 km
Urban Centers (>10,000 Population) 124
Total Urban Population 26.4 M
Prospective Resource Colocated Near Demand (>1M Pop) 66%

Target Sensitivity & Deep EGS Upside

Sensitivity of prospective resource area to adjusted depth and temperature thresholds

150°C Baseline at 5.5 km 2.2% of national territory reaches 150°C at 5.5 km depth
185°C Baseline at 7.5 km 2.5% of national territory reaches 185°C at 7.5 km depth

Global Peer Benchmarking (vs. 278 Assessed Jurisdictions)

Relative ranking distribution of Namibia across 11 standardized geothermal indicators

Namibia Rank Global Peer Spread
Shallowest 200°C depth
6 km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 29th percentile
Peak temp at 5 km
128.4 °C Lower 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 11th percentile
Prospective land area (>185°C at 5.5 km)
1.4% Lower 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 5th percentile
Stored heat in-place (3-7 km)
125.4 ZJ Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 66th percentile
Typical geothermal gradient
26 °C/km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 37th percentile
Grid proximity (<50 km)
78.1% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 78th percentile
Thin sediment coverage (<1 km)
86.4% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 86th percentile
Curie isotherm depth
33.8 km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 26th percentile
Moho crustal thickness
42 km Lower 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 24th percentile
Model temperature uncertainty spread
±0.7 km Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 64th percentile
Urban demand colocation
54% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 76th percentile
Asset-Level 3D Simulation Available

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Analytical Geothermal Assessment & Discussion: Namibia

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

Resource Overview

Geothermal assessment for Namibia indicates craton_shield geological controls governing subsurface heat transport, yielding 1.4% of land area reaching the baseline target of 185°C at 5.5 km depth.

Uncertainty & Model Variance

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

Grid & Infrastructure Colocation

National electrical transmission coverage positions approximately 78.1% of prospective geothermal ground within 50 km of existing high-voltage corridors.

Geological & Basement Setting

Subsurface lithology is characterized by craton shield dynamics with median sediment thickness of 0.1 km and crustal thickness of 42 km.

Stored Heat Volume

Accessible thermal energy in place between 3 km and 7 km depth above 80°C totals 125.4 Zettajoules (ZJ).

Peer Comparison

Benchmarked against 237 global assessment jurisdictions, Namibia 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 Namibia is generated from Geothermal Radar Data Pack 2026.1 utilizing global 0.1° hex-grid thermal inversion across 9 174 model cells (land area: 825 615 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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