Top 7 China Geothermal Energy Companies 2025
China has the world largest direct-use geothermal heating capacity, serving 100+ million square meters of building space. The country also operates geothermal power plants in Tibet, with installed capacity exceeding 100 MW. In 2025, China geothermal sector focuses on expanding shallow geothermal heating systems for cities and developing deep enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) for power generation.
TL;DR: China leads global direct-use geothermal heating serving 100M+ sqm building space. Sinopec Star dominates geothermal heating while Tibet geothermal plants provide 100MW+ power capacity.
Top Companies
Sinopec Star (中石化新星)
80M+ sqm geothermal heatingSinopec Star is China largest geothermal heating company, operating district heating systems in Xianyang, Xiongan and 10+ other cities. The company manages 80M+ square meters of geothermal heated floor space, replacing coal-fired boilers and reducing CO2 emissions by 10Mt+ annually.
Huadian New Energy
Tibet geothermal powerHuadian operates the Yangbajing geothermal power plant in Tibet, China largest geothermal power station at 25 MW. The company is developing additional geothermal power projects in Tibet and Yunnan provinces with combined planned capacity exceeding 200 MW.
CNPC Daqing
Oilfield geothermalCNPC subsidiary exploits geothermal resources from oilfield co-production, using existing oil well infrastructure to extract hot water for heating. Daqing oilfield geothermal heating serves 5M+ sqm of building space in Heilongjiang province.
Jingyuan Geothermal (洁源环境)
Shallow geothermal systemsJingyuan Geothermal specializes in ground-source heat pump systems for commercial and residential buildings. The company has installed 20M+ sqm of shallow geothermal heating/cooling capacity across 50+ Chinese cities.
Sinopec Greentech
Geothermal technologySinopec Greentech provides geothermal exploration, reservoir engineering and power plant design services. The company developed proprietary geothermal well completion technology achieving 30%+ higher flow rates than conventional methods.
Tibet Geothermal
High-temperature resourcesTibet Geothermal Development Company exploits the abundant high-temperature geothermal resources on the Tibetan Plateau. The company operates exploration and development projects at multiple Tibetan sites with reservoir temperatures exceeding 200C.
Energy China Geothermal
Engineering+constructionEnergy China subsidiary provides EPC services for geothermal power and heating projects. The company has constructed geothermal heating networks in 15+ Chinese cities and designed multiple geothermal power plants in Tibet.
Comparison Table
| Company | Focus | Capacity/Served | Technology | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sinopec Star | Heating | 80M+ sqm | Deep geothermal | Xianyang,Xiongan |
| Huadian | Power | 25MW | Hydrothermal | Tibet |
| CNPC Daqing | Co-production heating | 5M+ sqm | Oilfield geothermal | Heilongjiang |
| Jingyuan | Heat pumps | 20M+ sqm | Shallow GSHP | Nationwide |
| Sinopec Greentech | Technology | Service | Well completion | Multiple |
| Tibet Geothermal | Exploration | Multiple sites | High-temp | Tibet |
| Energy China | EPC | 15+ cities | Design+build | Multiple |
Frequently Asked Questions
How does geothermal heating work?
Geothermal heating in China uses three main approaches: (1) Deep geothermal where hot water at 60-90C is extracted from 1500-3000m deep wells and circulated through district heating networks via heat exchangers; (2) Shallow geothermal using ground-source heat pumps that exploit stable ground temperatures at 50-200m depth for both heating and cooling; (3) Oilfield co-production using existing oil wells to access hot formation water. Deep geothermal serves large district heating networks while shallow systems suit individual buildings.
What is China geothermal power potential?
China geothermal power potential is estimated at 25 GW for hydrothermal resources and potentially hundreds of GW for enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). Current installed capacity is only 100 MW, concentrated in Tibet. The government aims to develop 1 GW of geothermal power by 2030, with EGS technology being the key enabler for expanding beyond natural hydrothermal sites to hot dry rock resources across China mainland.
What is enhanced geothermal system (EGS)?
EGS creates artificial geothermal reservoirs in hot dry rock formations by injecting high-pressure water to create fracture networks, then circulating water through the fractures to extract heat. China has conducted EGS pilot projects in Songliao Basin and Tibet, achieving reservoir temperatures of 150-200C. EGS could unlock geothermal power generation anywhere with sufficient subsurface heat, dramatically expanding the geographic range of geothermal energy beyond natural hydrothermal sites.
What is China's enhanced geothermal system (EGS) progress?
China has conducted EGS pilot projects in Gonghe Basin (Qinghai) and Songliao Basin, drilling wells beyond 4,000 meters depth. The Gonghe project achieved temperatures above 200 degrees Celsius, demonstrating China's technical capability for deep geothermal development in sedimentary basins.
How is geothermal energy used for heating in northern China?
Over 30 Chinese cities in Hebei, Shandong, and Shaanxi use geothermal district heating, serving more than 100 million square meters of building area. Sinopec's Xingyi Geothermal subsidiary leads this sector, operating over 200 geothermal heating stations with combined capacity exceeding 800 MW thermal.