Renewables

Gold in them hills? Quaise Energy piloting deep geothermal to decarbonize mining

Quaise Energy and Nevada Gold Mines are piloting using geothermal heat to hybridize on-site power generation at a 200-megawatt solar plant.
Gold in them hills? Quaise Energy piloting deep geothermal to decarbonize mining
(Recent core drilling by Quaise Energy lays the groundwork for upcoming field demonstrations of millimeter wave drilling technology. Courtesy: Quaise Energy)

Figuring out how to decarbonize heavy-duty industrial processes like mining seems like one of the trickiest challenges impeding our long-term decarbonization goals. Massachusetts-based geothermal power company Quaise Energy and Barrick-operated Nevada Gold Mines (NGM), a joint venture with Newmont Corporation, are taking up the charge.

Quaise and NGM are exploring additional decarbonization of the latter’s newly commissioned 200-megawatt (MW) solar power plant by using geothermal heat from NGM’s land and subsurface holdings to hybridize on-site power generation.

Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen and Barrick president and CEO Mark Bristow (center) celebrate the completion of the 200 MW solar power plant at Nevada Gold Mines in August 2024. Courtesy: Barrick

The TS Solar Power Plant has the capacity to produce 17% of NGM’s annual power demand while realizing an equivalent emissions reduction of 234 Kt of carbon dioxide per year. Barrick president and chief executive Mark Bristow says the solar facility will reduce NGM’s total annual greenhouse gas emissions by 8% against a 2018 baseline.

NGM is currently in the process of converting to co-fire capabilities at the plant, planning to use cleaner-burning natural gas as another fuel source. In its partnership with Quaise, NGM is also investigating deep geothermal energy sources to further reduce the plant’s fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It marks the commercial pilot for retrofitting a fossil fuel power plant to accommodate geothermal heat.

An aerial view of the solar facility at Nevada Gold Mines.
The recently completed 200 MW TS Solar Power Plant. Courtesy: Barrick

“Nevada Gold Mines is targeting an overall 30% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030,” explained Henri Gonin, managing director of Nevada Gold Mines. “We continue to pursue initiatives that economically reduce our reliance on carbon-based electricity sources. Quaise offers a unique prospective solution to hybridize our on-site power generation with clean geothermal heat.”

Quaise Energy spun out of the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center in 2018. The company has raised more than $95 million to date, including a $21M Series A1 financing round led by Prelude Ventures and Safar Partners in March 2024. Mitsubishi Corporation and Standard Investments were among several new participating investors.

Recent core drilling by Quaise Energy lays the groundwork for upcoming field demonstrations of millimeter wave drilling technology. Courtesy: Quaise Energy

The startup says its approach to geothermal is unique by going hotter and deeper to significantly increase power density and worldwide accessibility. Outfitting existing drilling rigs with millimeter wave technology accelerates the development of deep geothermal energy by leveraging the fossil fuel infrastructure of today, it argues.

“Deep geothermal can decarbonize critical industrial processes like mining because of its superior power density,” said Carlos Araque, president and CEO of Quaise Energy. “Our millimeter wave drilling technology is the key to unlocking high-grade geothermal heat, repositioning fossil-fired assets for a clean energy future.”

Quaise Energy bills itself as “terawatt-scale geothermal,” opening access to renewable baseload power for the planet. Deep geothermal uses less than 1% of the land and materials of other renewables, making it the only option for a sustainable clean energy transition, according to its website. Deep geothermal wells can be drilled in more places around the world, even next to existing power plants, and can compete with fossil fuels on cost while eliminating carbon emissions.

According to Quaise, deep geothermal power plants can create 10 times more energy than conventional geothermal can while providing 24/7 baseload power on a relatively small land footprint. The company believes the retrofit of NGM’s TS Power Plant positions Quaise to go from drilling field trials to full commercial deployment of its technology. The ongoing partnership with NGM also invites other industrial use applications worldwide.

Originally published in Renewable Energy World.