Geothermal breakthrough could fuel the future
Image credit: mattpalmer via Unsplash
Beneath our feet lies an energy source powerful enough to supply the world’s needs for over 20 million years, and scientists may finally be close to reaching it. A new drilling method developed by researchers at MIT and their spinout company, Quaise Energy, uses high-powered energy beams to vaporize deep, dense rock and access ultra-hot geothermal energy. While technical hurdles remain, the team aims to begin extracting energy from a pilot well by 2026. If successful, this breakthrough could unlock a virtually limitless and clean power source hidden deep within the Earth.
Source
Meyer, G.G., Shahin, G., Cordonnier, B. et al. Permeability partitioning through the brittle-to-ductile transition and its implications for supercritical geothermal reservoirs. Nat Commun 15, 7753 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52092-0
Additional Reading
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a64075571/deepest-hole-geothermal-energy/
https://news.mit.edu/2022/quaise-energy-geothermal-0628
https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/geothermal-power-is-a-climate-moon-shot-beneath-our-feet