Quaise

Existing geothermal power stations can only be deployed in rare locations where adequate heat is located within 3 km of the surface.[5] These resources are of a comparatively low temperature, and require seismically risky stimulation techniques. Further, drilling at these depths is expensive and slow. {{Citation needed}}

Instead, Quaise plans to drill quickly to deep depths using a gyrotron and waveguide, vaporizing the rock by heating it. {{Citation needed}} Temperatures at 20 km depth are above the supercritical point of water, which allows ten times more energy to be transferred given the same volumetric flow.[6] The supercritical water is then used in a supercritical steam generator which may previously have been powered with fossil fuels. {{Citation needed}}

The approach proposes advantages compared with other power sources:

• Constant 24-hour generation - Maximum output always available. Does not require storage. Wind and Solar are intermittent generators. {{Citation needed}}
• Small land footprint - Consumes less than 1% of the land area of wind or solar for the same maximum output.[7]

In October 2021, Quaise began initial testing of gyrotron boring at Oak Ridge National Laboratory[8] and plans to have a full-scale gyrotron drilling rig completed by 2024.[9] By 2026, the company hopes to have achieved 100MW of geothermal power output.[10] By 2028, Quaise aims to have converted an existing fossil-fuelled power plant to run on geothermal steam.{{Citation needed}}

• Supercritical steam generator