US tool to recreate deep-earth conditions to unlock 'superhot' power

Oregon State University (OSU) has received a $750,000 donation from Quaise Energy to advance research on superhot rock (SHR) geothermal energy, a promising resource estimated to have the potential to generate 63 terawatts of power—over eight times the current global electricity output—by exploiting just 1% of SHR resources located 2 to 12 miles beneath the Earth's surface. The funding supports OSU’s Experimental Deep Geothermal Energy (EDGE) lab in simulating extreme deep-earth conditions, specifically studying water at supercritical temperatures (374°C) and pressures (up to 500 atmospheres), where water can transport up to five times more energy than standard hot water. This research is crucial as existing geothermal models do not accurately predict behaviors in such superhot regimes. The EDGE lab, led by Assistant Professor Brian Tattitch, uses a custom flow-through reactor to observe real-time chemical interactions between rock and fluids under these conditions, aiming to overcome challenges such as mineral