Seattle Company Demonstrates Subsea Geothermal Power Generation

Endurance Energy, a company based in Seattle, demonstrated an end-to-end subsea geothermal power system during a test at Axial Seamount, approximately 300 miles off the Oregon coast. The Adélie pilot plant achieved net-positive electricity generation, producing a median output of about 2 kilowatts and a peak of 16.5 kilowatts. However, this net-positive generation lasted only 8.7 seconds, and the company noted that technical challenges remain before the power can be commercially viable.

The demonstration involved drilling a 52-foot geothermal well 5,000 feet beneath the ocean surface and successfully connecting a generator to a natural hydrothermal vent. The operation also showed the capability to remotely control a deep-sea geothermal installation using the National Science Foundation's Regional Cabled Array.