Geothermal energy harnesses the heat of rocks to convert water to steam and supply an uninterrupted power as opposed to wind and solar energy sources. This makes geothermal energy a leading candidate for a carbon neutral, efficient and a reliable source of renewable energy supply across the globe. However, the current drilling methods to reach the rocks at a depth of more than 4 Km are slow and inefficient – making geothermal sources supply less than 2% to the global energy share.

The growth of deep geothermal energy requires reducing the unit cost of drilling by 30% by developing a technology capable of drilling 3 or 4 times faster than conventional drilling techniques, which is a very ambitious goal. We will mention some of these novel rock breaking processes, in particular a method, we named “Self-Relief-Drilling ”, based on a principle to ‘free’ the deep rock from existing concentrated stress at the bottom-hole in the immediate vicinity of the drilling bit, allowing for an easier rock-cutting action. The new technique combines two, previously separate, mature technologies: High Pressure Water Jetting and Percussive Drilling, in a system customised for hard rock geothermal reservoirs to depths of 6 km.