Game-changing drilling tech promises unlimited geothermal power
Geothermal energy is an ecological and sustainable energy source, but current technology only allows its use in select locations. New technological solutions, however, may change this situation.
Solar and wind energy have drawbacks related to their instability. Conversely, traditional coal, gas, and nuclear power plants operate on the principle of turning water into steam, which then drives turbines, producing electricity steadily without significant impact from weather conditions. If we could avoid heating the water artificially, it would create the perfect, stable source of cheap electricity and heat needed for building heating. In Iceland, geology allows for such solutions, but in other regions, the heat is found much deeper.
Is an unlimited source of energy possible?
Deeper drilling is advantageous, and in applications such as geothermal heat pumps, these systems are more effective in cold conditions compared to air heat pumps because, at a depth of 328 feet, the temperature is usually above freezing, which improves their efficiency during -13 degrees Fahrenheit frosts.
New technology in energy
According to Interesting Engineering, technology using microwaves to vaporize rocks may solve the problem of deep drilling, allowing drilling to depths of 10 miles or more. Russia's most famous borehole on the Kola Peninsula reached over 7 miles deep and took twenty years to create.
Matt Houde, co-founder and project manager at Quaise Energy, stated:
The total energy content of the heat stored underground exceeds our annual energy demand as a planet by a factor of a billion. So tapping into a fraction of that is more than enough to meet our energy needs for the foreseeable future.
Drilling to save the planet?
Quaise Energy, in collaboration with MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), has been developing drilling technology using microwaves. These devices melt and vaporize rocks, such as basalt, which is challenging for traditional drills. The technology has difficulties with soft rocks near the surface, so combining traditional drilling with microwave technology in the second phase of the process seems to be the best solution.
The first drills using this innovative method are planned for the coming years. However, hundreds, if not thousands, of such drills will be needed to obtain a steady and clean energy source.
