🎉 Big win for green energy! This week, engineers in the Yellow River Delta region of eastern China hit a milestone by drilling a record-breaking geothermal well.
On Jan. 9, 2026, the Shandong Provincial Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources announced the new well reached a bottom-hole temperature of 162°C and a wellhead water temperature of 138°C – the hottest hydrothermal-geothermal well in eastern China to date.
With an estimated stable thermal power output of 21.57 MW, this well could generate around 25,200 kWh of electricity each day – enough juice to light up nearly 10,000 homes ⚡🏠.
But that's not all: the steam it delivers could replace about 18,800 tonnes of coal annually in factories, cutting roughly 48,900 tonnes of CO2 emissions 🏭❌💨.
After power and industrial use, the leftover 80°C water can heat almost 2 million square meters of homes, and the 60°C residual heat is perfect for smart greenhouses or aquaculture projects 🌿🐠.
Geothermal energy is a stable, low-carbon renewable resource with huge reserves and high efficiency. The Chinese mainland has long led the world in direct geothermal utilization – and this breakthrough is another step toward a greener future.
“We will continue exploration to expand geothermal applications in power, industrial steam, heating and agriculture – supporting public well-being and sustainable growth,” said Zhang Yunfeng from the Shandong Provincial Geo-Mineral Engineering Exploration Institute.
Reference(s):
Geothermal drilling breakthrough in east China boosts green transition
cgtn.com
