Project AURORA: A proposal for an Arctic Underground Research Observatory for Resource Advancement

Canada is at an inflection point in the Arctic. Canada’s Arctic neighbours are becoming more assertive, while rising temperatures boost the value of the Arctic for transport and resources. Canada must now increase its military and economic activity to defend its sovereignty. But energy is a chronic barrier, as costs in Canada’s Arctic are amongst the world’s highest.

Geothermal power offers a transformative solution. By drilling kilometres deep into the Earth’s crust and circulating water to harvest massive quantities of heat, geothermal energy can be harnessed for heat and power nearly anywhere. It provides secure baseload electricity available 24/7, and plant performance is enhanced in cold climates such as those in Canada’s Arctic. Since most of the infrastructure is located underground, geothermal facilities can be built close to the airports these communities need, unlike wind turbines, and are more resilient to extreme weather.

However, next-generation geothermal technologies suitable for the North require innovation. Canada is uniquely positioned to realize this opportunity. The skills and expertise needed for a geothermal project are much the same as those that propelled Canada’s oil and gas sector to global leadership. By redeploying this expertise to geothermal innovation, Canada can both address its northern energy and sovereignty challenges and enhance its competitive edge to become a clean energy superpower.

The Canadian Armed Forces are well placed to lead the way. Groups such as Defence Research and Development Canada and Defence Construction Canada could spearhead a new era of military-led innovation. Just as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built world-renowned capabilities in bridges, dams, and waterways, Canada has the chance to define a new frontier of military engineering. By pairing military logistics and construction capabilities with Canada’s deep subsurface expertise, Project AURORA (Arctic Underground Research Observatory for Resource Advancement) would establish Canada as a world leader in geothermal.

Resolute Bay is the ideal champion for realizing this goal. The community hosts an air base, faces high energy costs, and has a strong geothermal resource (i.e., a good heat gradient). Local conditions present significant challenges, particularly given the area’s hard rock geology. But this is a feature, not a bug. Challenging conditions compel the development of advanced solutions that, once proven in the Arctic’s most difficult conditions, can be exported to other markets around the world.

The local benefits would be large. Project AURORA would eliminate dependence on imported diesel and its waste heat; it could support greenhouses for food security. As costs fall, broad deployment of next-generation geothermal systems would catalyze a northern economic revolution in mining, research, defence infrastructure, and community development—even in tourism. The associated activity would dramatically expand Canada’s presence in the North, helping to simultaneously defend Canadian sovereignty, drive increased productivity, and create spillovers for Canada’s broader geothermal and energy industries (oil and gas, critical minerals, carbon management).