This startup just tested turning an underwater volcano into a power plant
Endurance Energy conducted an experimental deployment of geothermal power generation at an underwater vent field 5,000 feet deep off Oregon's coast. The team drilled a well to access 500-degree subsurface heat and lowered a generator to test electricity production. Though the full system encountered a cable failure, the generator briefly produced net positive power when connected to a natural vent, validating the concept for potential commercial-scale undersea power plants as a baseload clean energy source.
Key points
- First commercial-scale test of subsea geothermal power generation
- Generator briefly produced more power than it consumed (8.7 seconds)
- Vision: network of undersea power plants for baseload clean energy
- System faced cable failure but proved core technology viability
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