Quaise Energy has taken a momentous step in unlocking Earth’s vast geothermal potential by staging live demonstrations of its trailblazing millimetre-wave drilling technology.

The setup enables rock vapourisation without any downhole hardware, by using high-frequency electromagnetic waves to drill through granite at unprecedented speeds and depths.

This MIT-spun-out company has achieved a record 100-m continuous borehole in crystalline basement rock, ten times faster than prior benchmarks, validating the real-world performance of its innovative system.

Quaise pairs conventional rotary drilling with millimetre-wave technology: The former handles shallow sedimentary layers, while the latter takes over in extreme conditions where mechanical methods falter.

The company will showcase its gyrotron-powered system in action at its central Texas site in public demonstrations from early September to late November

The potential benefits are huge. Superhot geothermal (accessed at around 400 deg C) is poised to deliver baseload energy on par with major fossil plants, with far greater scalability and environmental sustainability.

The millimetre-wave method vaporises rock, forming a vitrified borehole lining, and uses purge gas via the waveguide to clear debris. No drill bit and no mud is required.

Grounded in over a decade of research beginning at MIT’s plasma physics labs, Quaise’s strategy is reaching maturity.

With the 100-metre milestone behind it, its roadmap includes deploying a ten-times-more-powerful gyrotron and building a pilot power plant in the western US by 2028.

Quaise’s ambition extends to delivering terawatts of reliable, zero-carbon geothermal energy globally, using existing oil-and-gas infrastructure and workforce—deployable virtually anywhere on Earth.