Quaise orders Kyoto Fusioneering gyrotron to drill superhot geothermal rock

Kyoto Fusioneering has received its first commercial order from Quaise Energy for a gyrotron system that uses millimeter waves to vaporize rock instead of mechanical drilling. The deal, signed August 17, covers a continuous-duty system unlike the pulsed gyrotrons used in fusion experiments.

• KF's gyrotron generates millimeter waves to ablate rock without a drill bit
• Order signed August 17 is KF's first commercial contract outside fusion
• KF builds gyrotrons from 28 GHz to 236 GHz, including units for MAST Upgrade and DIII-D
• The continuous-duty design could also serve future fusion power plants