Geothermal energy is a promising source of sustainable energy that remains largely untapped, due primarily to the depth which must be dug to access it.
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That could soon be changing. In a big way.
An energy company named Quaise will attempt to clear that hurdle with revolutionary new technology. Quaise will use a gyrotron – a vacuum tube that creates electromagnetic radiation by shaking electrons inside a magnetic field – to tap 12 miles into the Earth.
Developed by researchers at MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, the hybrid deep drilling technology will circumvent some of the classic struggles of drilling. So far, man has only drilled about 7.5 miles down. Metal bits are unable to withstand the extreme heat of approximately 930°F found at 12 miles beneath the surface, so to achieve their record-setting goal the team will burn rather than drill.
“Our gyrotron-powered drilling platform vaporizes boreholes through rock and provides access to deep geothermal heat without complex downhole equipment,” reads Quaise’s website.
Here’s how it works: The gyrotron burns a hole through very hot, dense rock. Water is then be pumped downwards, where it quickly vaporizes into steam, which powers the electrical plant.
Quaise believes geothermal energy could provide 8.3% of global energy and as many as 40 countries fully. And while geothermal energy can have environmental side effects, it is substantially better for the planet than coal and oil-based energy.