As the world’s energy needs increase, scientists and researchers continue to look for new avenues to explore. The focus on clean energy alternatives is regularly centered on solar, wind, and hydropower, but new innovations in geothermal technology seem promising.
One such innovation was recently announced by a company called Quaise Energy. It announced that its millimeter wave technology, which was developed over a decade at MIT, has managed to drill 100 meters (328 feet) down through hot, hard rock. In fact, millimeter wave technology allows drillers to reach rocks at a heat of around 752 degrees Fahrenheit.
While it will ultimately need to be able to drill down farther than 100 meters to fuel a power plant, the achievement is a promising step toward that goal. It is the first time that successful drilling like this has ever occurred outside the lab.
Geothermal energy is energy produced from hot water or steam deep under the Earth’s surface. The heat is seemingly limitless, and therefore, the potential for geothermal energy is huge, as it can very much expand the amount of output to our grids, lowering costs for everyone. It also doesn’t require the burning of dirty fuels such as oil, coal, or gas that release harmful pollution into the atmosphere.
And incredibly, this is only the latest technological innovation in the field of geothermal energy. A company called XGS developed a special mud to help access potential energy deep within the Earth’s surface. And technological behemoths Meta and Google have also announced plans to research and develop new drilling technology to help power their AI centers.
The leaders behind the innovation were understandably excited about the potential.
“The Earth holds an enormous reservoir of clean energy — energy that could fundamentally change how we power our world if we can reach it,” said Carlos Araque, CEO and president of Quaise Energy.
He added, “We’re drilling faster and deeper at this point than anyone believed possible, proving that millimeter wave technology is the only tool capable of reaching the superhot rock needed for next-generation geothermal power. We are opening up a path to a new energy frontier.”
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