Quaise Energy Achieves Drilling Milestone with Millimeter Wave Technology
Quaise's millimeter wave drilling system, developed after more than a decade of research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), harnesses a powerful gyrotron to ablate rock for the first time without any downhole hardware. Unlike conventional drill bits, which struggle with hard, hot, rocks like granite and basalt, millimeter wave technology allows access to superhot rock—around 752 degrees Fahrenheit (400℃)—typically found deep within the Earth's subsurface.
Accessing hotter rock deeper underground enables Quaise geothermal plants to generate many times more energy than traditional geothermal – opening up grid-scale projects that can match the power output of major fossil fuel plants.
'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. '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.'
Prior to 2025, millimeter wave drilling had only been demonstrated in the laboratory, with MIT's early system drilling a hole just a few centimeters deep. While 100 meters is only a fraction of the commercial depth needed for the company's first power plants, the granite drilled during the field test is the same type of hard rock that blankets the basement layer of the Earth's crust. Drilling efficiently through the basement layer is the only way to unlock superhot geothermal worldwide.
The company plans to build on this achievement with an upcoming gyrotron using 10x more power. Quaise further expects to complete a pilot power plant in the Western U.S. as early as 2028.
'Our progress this year has exceeded all expectations,' added Araque. '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.'
About Quaise Energy
Quaise Energy is unlocking the Earth's deep heat to deliver clean, reliable, always-on energy at scale – almost anywhere in the world. As both a technology innovator and project developer, Quaise builds and operates solutions that harness superhot geothermal energy far below the surface, enabling power generation that can rival the output of today's most efficient fossil fuel and nuclear plants. Founded at MIT, Quaise's mission is to make superhot geothermal a backbone of the modern energy system, offering affordable, zero-carbon power and true energy independence for communities and nations everywhere.
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