Quaise, a start-up company affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is planning to drill up to 20,000 meters into the earth to harness geothermal energy for electricity production. Traditional heat pumps typically only drill to a depth of 100 meters to access geothermal energy. The deepest borehole ever drilled was in the Kola Peninsula in 1989, reaching a depth of 12,262 meters. However, the borehole has since deteriorated due to the closure of the research station in 1992. Quaise aims to surpass this record by drilling to a depth of 20,000 meters to access stored geothermal energy. The company plans to make this energy accessible to a large portion of the population, reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
According to ScienceAlert, Quaise has developed a new technology for this record-breaking drilling project. Conventional drilling equipment cannot reach such depths due to the pressure and temperatures of over 180 degrees Celsius, which destroy conventional technology. Quaise plans to solve this problem by using rotating drill heads to advance the borehole through softer layers. A high-frequency microwave technology will then be used in the deeper layers. The company plans to complete the drilling in just 100 days and create multiple boreholes around the world. Quaise has received $63 million in funding for the project, and the drilling system is expected to be unveiled in 2024. By 2028, old coal-fired power plants will be converted to produce electricity using geothermal energy.
Quaise’s ambitious project has the potential to revolutionize the energy industry by providing a sustainable and renewable source of electricity. The company’s innovative drilling technology could pave the way for deeper and more efficient drilling methods, unlocking previously inaccessible sources of geothermal energy. However, the success of the project will depend on the effectiveness of the new technology and the ability to scale up production to meet the growing demand for renewable energy.
