# Geothermal power plants: Resources and labour

Wells, steel and drilling crews borrowed from oil and gas

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_geo_power/resources/

What this tab covers The natural resources (land, water, materials, fuel or feedstock) and the labour needed to capture this energy, per unit, with the reason each is needed.

The main inputs are drilling (steel casing, cement, diesel), a modest land area and cooling water. Labour peaks during drilling and construction.

#### Natural resources

| Resource | How much | Why it is needed |
|---|---|---|
| **Wells** | About 21 wells (15 production, 6 injection) for a 50 MW flash plant; 4 for a 10 MW binary plant^[8](https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2014/02/f7/analysis_wang_lifecycle_analysis.pdf) | Each well delivers a limited flow of hot fluid; spent fluid must be reinjected to sustain pressure. |
| **Steel and cement (surface pipelines)** | 769 t steel and 769 t cement for 50 MW flash, about 15 t each per MW (calculated)^[8](https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2014/02/f7/analysis_wang_lifecycle_analysis.pdf) | Insulated pipes carry fluid between wells and plant; wells are lined with steel casing cemented in place. |
| **Diesel** | About 145,000 gallons for pipeline construction, 50 MW flash^[8](https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2014/02/f7/analysis_wang_lifecycle_analysis.pdf) | Drilling rigs and construction equipment. |
| **Land** | About 404 m2 per GWh over 30 years, against 3,632 m2 for coal^[9](https://www.ourenergypolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Environmental-Guide.pdf) | Well pads, pipelines and plant; directional drilling shares pads. |
| **Fresh water** | About 5 gallons (19 litres) per MWh; air-cooled binary none. The Geysers: 1,400 gallons per MWh consumed^[8](https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2014/02/f7/analysis_wang_lifecycle_analysis.pdf)^[9](https://www.ourenergypolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Environmental-Guide.pdf) | Evaporative cooling and reservoir top-up. |

#### Labour

| Phase | How much | Skills | Why it is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Exploration and drilling** | 11-22 people exploring and 91-116 drilling for a 50 MW plant^[10](https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_376373_5/component/file_376372/Sch%C3%BCtz%20et%20al.%20GEOELEC_Employment%20study.pdf) | Geologists, geophysicists, drilling engineers, rig hands, mud loggers | Finding and proving the reservoir is the riskiest, most labour-heavy step. |
| **Manufacturing** | 3.3-3.9 person-years per MW^[10](https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_376373_5/component/file_376372/Sch%C3%BCtz%20et%20al.%20GEOELEC_Employment%20study.pdf) | Turbine, heat-exchanger and pipe manufacture | Plant equipment is custom-matched to the fluid. |
| **Construction** | 3.1-6.8 person-years per MW^[10](https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_376373_5/component/file_376372/Sch%C3%BCtz%20et%20al.%20GEOELEC_Employment%20study.pdf) | Welders, steel erectors, concrete placers, project managers | Plants, pipelines and pads are built on site. |
| **Operation** | 0.36-0.7 jobs per MW^[10](https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_376373_5/component/file_376372/Sch%C3%BCtz%20et%20al.%20GEOELEC_Employment%20study.pdf) | Plant operators, technicians, reservoir engineers | Plants run around the clock; wells need workovers. |
| **All phases** | 161,000 geothermal jobs worldwide in 2024^[11](https://www.ilo.org/sites/default/files/2026-01/IRENA_SOC_RE_and_jobs_2026.pdf) | Many transferable from oil and gas | Direct employment in geothermal power only. |

#### Sources

1. [Life-Cycle Analysis of Geothermal Technologies (Wang, Clark and Sullivan, Argonne National Laboratory, GTP peer review)](https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2014/02/f7/analysis_wang_lifecycle_analysis.pdf) US DOE, 2010
2. [A Guide to Geothermal Energy and the Environment](https://www.ourenergypolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Environmental-Guide.pdf) Geothermal Energy Association, 2007
3. [GEOELEC Employment study, Deliverable 5.1 (Schütz et al.)](https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_376373_5/component/file_376372/Sch%C3%BCtz%20et%20al.%20GEOELEC_Employment%20study.pdf) GFZ Potsdam / APPA, 2013
4. [Renewable Energy and Jobs: Annual Review 2025, Table 1](https://www.ilo.org/sites/default/files/2026-01/IRENA_SOC_RE_and_jobs_2026.pdf) IRENA and ILO, 2026

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_geo_power/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_geo_power/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_geo_power/correlation/index.md)
- [Efficiency](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_geo_power/efficiency/index.md)
- [Techniques](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_geo_power/techniques/index.md)
- [Impact on the biosphere](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_geo_power/biosphere/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_geo_power/links/index.md)