Quaise Energy, an MIT spin-off, is developing millimetre wave electromagnetic drilling technology to permit sinking boreholes to the 3 to 20 km level, fusing the rock walls of the bore as it goes, where temperature is around 500° C. Supercritical water at that temperature brought to the surface will drive conventional steam turbines, including those of repurposed thermal power stations. Here are two New Atlas articles about the technology and plans:
- “Fusion tech is set to unlock near-limitless ultra-deep geothermal energy”
- “Quaise’s ultra-deep geothermal drilling plans: Your questions answered”
(The “Fusion tech” in the first title is misleading. There is no nuclear fusion involved. They’re just using high power microwave technology developed as part of fusion reactor research to do the drilling.)
Here is a short promotional video about the technology.
This is a presentation the company made at the MIT Technology Review ClimateTech conference in November 2022.
