The latest from Japan for you;
JERA Co., Inc. (JERA), a global energy leader and Japan’s largest power generation company, today announced a strategic investment in Quaise Energy, a Houston-based company developing next-generation superhot geothermal technology. The investment, made through JERA’s corporate venture capital arm, JERA Ventures, reflects JERA’s support for Quaise’s efforts to develop its first commercial geothermal power plant, Project Obsidian, in Oregon. The companies will also explore potential opportunities related to the future commercialization and deployment of the technology in Japan.
Quaise’s proprietary millimeter wave drilling technology, developed from research conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is designed to reach geothermal resources at temperatures of 300°C to 500°C, at depths that are not economically accessible with conventional drilling. Because such high-temperature resources exist deep underground in most regions of the world, the technology has the potential to significantly expand where geothermal power can be developed, supporting clean, reliable baseload electricity production worldwide, including Japan, which has one of the world’s largest untapped geothermal resources.
Next-generation technologies such as superhot geothermal have the potential to turn this resource into a realistic option for new clean baseload power. Such technologies could also advance the development of domestically sourced energy, supporting energy security amid increasing uncertainty in global energy supply chains.
“As a global energy company, JERA understands both the scale of the challenge ahead and the scale of the opportunity that next-generation geothermal represents. Millimeter wave drilling technology has the potential to make geothermal a truly global baseload resource,” said Takeshi Kodama, Head of JERA Ventures and Managing Partner of JERA. “We look forward to working together with Quaise to advance the development of this promising technology and business.”
With the mission of providing cutting-edge solutions to the world’s energy issues, JERA aims to achieve net-zero CO₂ emissions by 2050 through the expansion of renewable energy and the advancement of lower-carbon thermal power generation. Through JERA Ventures, JERA has made strategic investments in a range of next-generation energy technologies, including electrolyzers, LFP batteries, and nuclear fusion.JERA will continue to invest in next-generation technologies that create new options for a decarbonized energy future.
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