Slovak company GA Drilling has demonstrated a pair of new technologies it says could unlock geothermal power generation almost anywhere on the planet. Anchorbit and Plasmabit promise much faster and cheaper drilling in hot rock 10 kilometers (6 miles) below ground.

The intense heat below the Earth’s surface is an almost inexhaustible source of reliable, clean energy and is available 24/7 from anywhere on Earth – you can take it as steam to power generator turbines or feed it directly into central heating systems.

So if we can reach him. The world’s most readily available geothermal energy is closest to the surface – typically geologically unstable areas near volcanoes and lots of seismic activity that only make up about 3% of the Earth’s surface. Otherwise, you won’t be able to get that heat without drilling through miles of super-hard rock.

The intense heat below the Earth’s surface is an almost inexhaustible source of reliable, clean energy and is available 24/7 from anywhere on Earth – you can take it as steam to power generator turbines or feed it directly into central heating systems.

So if we can reach him. The world’s most readily available geothermal energy is closest to the surface – typically geologically unstable areas near volcanoes and lots of seismic activity that only make up about 3% of the Earth’s surface. Otherwise, you won’t be able to get that heat without drilling through miles of super-hard rock.

The temperatures and pressures associated with ultra-deep drilling tend to quickly destroy even the highest quality drill bits. Replacing the bit means you have to lift the drill head miles from the ground, replace it, and then put it back in the barrel before you start again. This process takes a lot of time and time is money when you rent this type of equipment.

As a result, geothermal energy is only really making a significant contribution to the electricity grid in Iceland, El Salvador, New Zealand and other regions where it is available at shallow depths. Globally, geothermal energy accounts for less than 100 GWh per year of the global energy supply of 166.7 million GWh.

Slovak company GA Drilling was previously known as Geothermal Anywhere and is a perfect example of the company’s goal: to make geothermal heat much cheaper, faster and more accessible wherever it’s needed.

GA has developed two core technologies that work with existing drilling infrastructure and equipment. The first is a staggered anchor system, which he calls Anchorbit.

The Anchorbit system places two gripping sections behind the drill bit, each with retractable pistons that can push and grip the hollow shaft. As the top burr grips the hole, the lower burr protrudes downwards closer to the drill and then extends the pistons it catches, allowing the top burr to be released and slide down to meet it. The process is demonstrated in this video:

These anchor clamps stabilize the drill by preventing the types of vibrations that occur when rotating drilling equipment is operating at the end of miles of cable. They also allow you to press the breast with additional weight. GA says it expects the Anchorbit system to not only double hard rock penetration rates, but also double the life of existing drill bits, allowing operators to drill faster and longer with less expensive bit replacement.

Anchorbit will accelerate the first 6.5 kilometers (3.7 mi) of drilling, but GA’s target depth for geothermal heat is more than 10 km (6.2 mi) underground. To reach this level, the company’s second key technology, Plasmabit, will be introduced.

The Plasmabit system can also be connected to a standard drill rig. This time, however, there’s a pulsed plasma drilling system that uses a rotating electric arc torch to break up and weaken the rock and blast it with ionized gas at 6,000 °C (10,800 °F) and blast it with high-pressure water to mechanically remove it. rock debris and send them back to the surface through the pipe. Essentially, it’s a distant version of the plasma torch tunneling type that companies like Petra and Earthgrid are doing closer to the surface.