US firm drills record 387 feet into granite with millimeter wave system

Massachusetts-based startup Quaise Energy has demonstrated a groundbreaking millimeter wave drilling system capable of boring 387 feet (118 meters) into solid granite without physical contact. The live demo, held at a granite quarry in Marble Falls, Texas, showcased the technology’s ability to vaporize rock using high-frequency electromagnetic waves, creating a smooth borehole and producing granite ash. This innovation, described as the first major drilling advancement in a century, aims to unlock access to superhot, deep geothermal energy—potentially providing a vast, clean, and renewable energy source comparable in scale to fossil fuels. The demonstration followed a series of successful tests progressing from drilling a few feet in lab granite cores to the current record depth achieved on the first attempt in the field. Quaise’s system reached drilling speeds up to 16 feet (5 meters) per hour, significantly faster than conventional granite drilling rates of about 0.3 meters per hour. The company plans to push the technology further by drilling up to a kilometer