Quaise, Inc was founded in 2018 to develop a millimeter-wave drilling system for converting existing power stations to use superdeep geothermal energy.
[1] The system would repurpose existing gyrotron technology to drill 20 kilometers beneath the surface, where temperatures exceed 400°C.
[citation needed] Instead, Quaise plans to drill quickly to deep depths using a gyrotron and waveguide, vaporizing the rock by heating it.
[6] Temperatures at 20km depth are above the supercritical point of water, which allows ten times more energy to be transferred given the same volumetric flow.
[citation needed] The approach proposes advantages compared with other power sources: In October 2021, Quaise began initial testing of gyrotron boring at Oak Ridge National Laboratory[9] and plans to have a full-scale gyrotron drilling rig completed by 2024.