Endurance Energy generates electricity from submarine volcano

US-based startup Endurance Energy has successfully demonstrated the ability to generate electricity from seafloor geothermal heat. During a three-week test at the Axial Seamount, located approximately 480 kilometers off the coast of Oregon, the company deployed its three-ton Adélie prototype at a depth of about 1,524 meters.

While initial drilling of a new well yielded fluids at 260 degrees Celsius, the flow was insufficient to power the plant. Consequently, the team connected the prototype to a nearby natural hydrothermal vent with temperatures of approximately 281 degrees Celsius. During a roughly 30-second operation on September 27, the turbine reached 26,000 revolutions per minute. The system achieved a net power median of approximately 2 kilowatts, with a peak instantaneous value of 16.5 kilowatts, producing more energy than it consumed for a duration of 8.7 seconds.

The Adélie prototype was designed to test deep-sea drilling, well casing, and remote operation via undersea fiber optics rather than for commercial-scale production. Endurance Energy, which has raised $63 million, plans to develop an improved version called Gentoo. The company aims to launch its first commercial project in Tonga by 2027.