地热资源是重要的非碳基可再生能源,具有本土能源、稳定可靠、绿色低碳等优势。21世纪以来,我国地热直接利用规模稳居世界首位,特别是中深层地热供暖利用快速增长,成为我国在世界地热产业中的鲜明特色。但与此同时,受限于我国绝大部分地区处于板块内部,东部用能旺盛区尚没有规模中高温地热资源发现,我国地热发电产业发展缓慢。基于对我国地热资源分布特征和开发利用情况的分析,总结归纳了我国中深层地热勘探开发利用技术现状,包括地热系统形成机制、选区评价技术、热储描述技术、可持续开发技术及“取热不耗水”关键工程技术等。地热能若要在能源转型中发挥更重要作用,未来需要向品位更高、应用范围更广的深层地热资源进军。建议持续加强基础理论研究和原始技术创新,尽快摸清我国深层地热资源家底,攻关高温钻完井、复杂结构井、深层热储改造、井下换热和干热岩EGS工程等关键技术,推进“地热+”多能协同,加大示范项目建设和应用市场培育。同时,需要建立健全政策法规制度体系,加大政策支持和管理监督力度,为地热产业健康、规范、可持续发展营造良好的环境。

Geothermal energy is an important non-carbon-based renewable energy with several advantages such as local availability, deployment stability/reliability, and low carbon emissions. It represents an unique resource for ensuring energy security and promoting green, low-carbon transition. Since the beginning of the 21st century China's geothermal industry has experienced rapid development, making it a world leader in direct geothermal use, particularly in direct utilization of medium and deep geothermal resources for heating. However, as the majority of China's land regions are within tectonic plates and the country lacks medium-high temperature geothermal resources in the energy-intensive regions in the east, the development of geothermal power generation in China has been slow. In this study, the main distribution characteristics and development status of geothermal resources in China are discussed, and the current geothermal exploration, development, and utilization technologies are summarize, which involve exploration techniques based on geothermal genesis models, site selection evaluation techniques, thermal storage description technologies, sustainable development techniques, and key engineering technologies related to “heat extraction without water consumption.” In order to increase the geothermal energy market size amid energy transition, it is necessary to tap into deep geothermal resources with higher quality and broader applications in the future. Recommendations from this study include continuing strengthening basic theoretical research and technical innovation, inventorying China's deep geothermal resources as early as possible, addressing key technology challenges (e.g., high-temperature drilling/completion, complex-structure well, deep thermal storage retrofitting, underground heat exchange, EGS), and promoting synergistic development of “geothermal plus” multisource energy. Efforts should also be made to increase construction of demonstration projects and foster application market development. At the same time, it is essential to establish a sound policy and regulatory system, increase policy support, strengthen management and supervision, and create a favorable environment for the healthy, standardized, and sustainable development of the geothermal industry.