Although used as a renewable resource for thousands of years, the widespread adoption of geothermal energy has been constrained by geological limitations, high upfront costs, and competition from fossil fuels and cheaper alternatives. However, as the cost of developing next-generation geothermal technologies falls, this overlooked energy source is projected to play a significant role in the future energy mix. 

Quaise Energy is reviving this powerful energy source, and is one of several companies that are putting “deep geothermal” on the map. Unlike conventional geothermal or “shallow geothermal,” which relies on underground reservoirs close to the Earth’s surface and is location-specific, deep geothermal can access the Earth’s heat from almost anywhere by drilling to depths of over 500 meters. At these depths, deep geothermal can tap into superhot rock, making it ten times as powerful as conventional systems. Deep geothermal achieves this by creating artificial reservoirs where none naturally exist, enabling fluid to circulate through the Earth’s crust and extract heat. 

Quaise’s technology does just that, vaporizing boreholes through rock using its next-generation gyrotron-powered drilling platform. This ultra-deep drilling technique enables access to superhot rock at unprecedented depths without the need for complex equipment down the well. The platform combines conventional rotary drilling with more advanced high-power millimeter-wave technology, according to the  Massachusetts-based startup’s website.

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In July, the company achieved a drilling milestone by harnessing its proprietary millimeter-wave drilling system, which penetrated to a depth of 100 meters at its pilot site in central Texas. The test drilling is just a fraction of what Quaise ultimately aims to achieve. Still, it is remarkable nonetheless for a technology that, until this year, had existed solely in the lab. 

“The Earth holds an enormous reservoir of clean energy — energy that could fundamentally change how we power our world if we can reach it,” Carlos Araque, CEO and President of Quaise Energy, said about the new record. “Quaise has now demonstrated that millimeter wave technology can do what no other technology can do: drill perfectly clean holes through some of the hardest rocks on Earth in record time. This milestone brings us closer to making geothermal energy a practical solution to power communities virtually anywhere.”

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Quaise will continue testing its millimeter wave technology at its field site through the fall. The ultimate goal is to develop a clean source of energy capable of matching the scale of oil and natural gas, Araque says: 

“This is not a company built to develop a cool drilling gadget. We aim to become a geothermal developer. Our product is not a drill bit. Our product is clean heat and energy that is abundant, reliable, and affordable on a global scale.”

To date, geothermal power has contributed less than one percent of global electricity generation. By bringing the potential of superhot, superdeep rocks to the forefront, companies like Quaise Energy are investing in grid-scale terawatt solutions that could help power a cleaner, more energy-independent world. 

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.