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The interior of the Earth is thousands of degrees Celsius. If we could take advantage of that heat, we would obtain a clean and almost inexhaustible source of energy. Or, at least, that is the theory of geothermal energy, a renewable energy that has become relevant again in recent times. The reason: the intention of a company called Quaise to dig a 20 kilometer hole to test its technology and obtain all the strength of the depths, converting classic coal plants into those of a new era of geothermal energy. And all in the years to come.
It’s not the first time it’s been tried. Those who went the furthest were Sovietswho in the seventies delved into the 12.3 kilometers below the surface of the Kola Peninsula using powerful drills.
However, the well – which was built for scientific purposes, to study the lithosphere – was abandoned in 2008.
This is a feat of engineering. For now, geothermal power plants, which go much shallower, take advantage of hot spots near the surface, such as active fault lines. A clear example is Iceland, where 85% of its energy is produced in this way, taking advantage of the nearly 200 volcanoes of its ‘hot’ geology. However, Quaise – who was born out of nuclear fusion research in the MIT Center for Fusion and Plasma Science– affirms that its technology can be applied anywhere thanks to its devices, lowering the cost of electricity to almost ridiculous prices anywhere on the globe.
And the tools have to be very resistant, withstanding temperatures above 180 degrees Celsius and capable of crushing any type of rock. His solution: once a critical point is reached, instead of drill bits – the system used until now – use millimeter waves of electromagnetic radiation that force atoms to fuse. Devices called gyrotrons -and currently used in fusion energy experiments and swithstand temperatures up to 500 degrees Celsius– can efficiently produce continuous beams of electromagnetic radiation by churning high-speed electrons into powerful magnetic fields, sort of like ‘melting’ rock to these hot spots, where liquid water would be pumped into something like steam , finally generating electricity when coming to the surface. And they want to have their system ready in 2026.
But his plan does not end there: two years later they hope to be able to take over the old coal-fired power plants, transforming them into steam-powered installations, in order to take advantage of their full potential with a new mission. “Geothermal does not require any fuel and does not produce any waste. It is truly renewable, abundant and equitable for all, even in the most challenging energy environments », they state on his website.
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