Quaise Energy: “Millimeter wave drilling is the most transformational drilling technology since the drill bit was introduced to the world in the 1930s. It’s the key that finally unlocks superhot geothermal energy worldwide, and we’re already getting started on our first power project in the western United States.
Millimeter wave drilling is what makes geothermal universal, not niche. It’s far more than just a new tool. It’s as consequential as peering into the atom, going into orbit, and mapping the human genome. And, it can open the door to terawatts of geothermal power for the entire world.“
A short Quaise video (below) describes how conventional and millimeter wave drilling can be combined to reach superhot geothermal energy sources.
Keep in mind that superhot (300-500 deg. C) energy can be reached with conventional drilling at sites with high geothermal gradients. These “tier 1” sites will be the first targets (second video below).
HOUSTON (7/22/2025) – “Quaise Energy, a leading developer of grid-scale superhot geothermal energy, today announced it has successfully drilled to a depth of 100 meters using its proprietary millimeter wave technology at its field site in Central Texas. This achievement sets a record for millimeter wave drilling and marks a major step forward in unlocking the Earth’s vast geothermal energy as a scalable, baseload energy source.“
Prior to this year, millimeter wave drilling had only been demonstrated in the laboratory (a few centimeters deep).
The granite drilled during the field test is the same type of hard rock found in the basement layer of the Earth’s crust.
Quaise has plans to build a gyrotron with 10x more power.
A pilot power plant in the Western U.S. is planned for as early as 2028.
This is the first-ever hybrid drilling rig, combining conventional and millimeter wave capabilities.
Quaise plans to drill superhot geothermal wells that can generate abundant baseload power in record time. They believe there is no other energy solution capable of the same scale and speed.
“The cube sends electomagnetic energy to the drill bit to melt rock – New Atlas photoCore showing vitrified granite/basalt walls of the borehole – New Atlas photo
We reached a new milestone with our millimeter wave #drilling system: our first 10 ft hole drilled outside lab conditions
This achievement was accomplished using our compact drilling rig, now scheduled for initial field trials later this quarter targeting a depth of 100 meters pic.twitter.com/pMlhsEvSED
“Last month, we demonstrated millimeter wave drilling outside of the lab for the very first time.“
“Millimeter wave drilling is the keystone of superhot geothermal. It’s the only way to access the resource at scale while reaching economic and power parity with fossil fuels. Over the coming months, two more drilling field tests will pave the way to our first commercial developments.”
A recent millimeter wave drilling test conducted at the Quaise laboratory, in preparation for upcoming field demonstrations
Ultradeep geothermal has enormous potential for power generation without being handicapped by the intermittency, space preemption, aesthetic, and wildlife protection challenges inherit in wind and solar projects.
Quaise Energy is an exciting company, not only because of ultradeep geothermal’s unlimited energy potential, but also because of their fascinating gyrotron technology that vaporizes hard rock and could enable drilling to depths of 20-30 km and temperatures of >1000° C.
Quaise Energy’s latest update includes some good photos of laboratory tests of their drilling technology. The first field tests of their drilling technology are supposed to be conducted later this year, but no details have been provided.
Quaise describes millimeter waves (MMWs) as follows: “… a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum between microwaves and infrared. Named for their wavelength measuring 1-10 millimeters, MMWs are everywhere yet invisible to the naked eye. The fingerprints of the Big Bang still linger as MMWs all around us in the cosmic microwave background. And if you’re reading this on a phone, chances are it was transmitted by 5G using MMWs.”
The plan is to drill through sedimentary rocks with conventional technology and use MMWs to vaporize basement rock with dielectric heat. There are many hurdles to clear, starting with the field tests, but the enormous energy potential is undeniable.
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 