Seattle-based Endurance Energy has achieved what it describes as the world’s first end-to-end demonstration of subsea geothermal power, generating more electricity than its system consumed during a test at an active underwater volcano in the Pacific Ocean.

The privately held company said Monday that its Adélie pilot plant achieved net-positive electricity generation during a three-week deployment at Axial Seamount, approximately 300 miles off the Oregon coast.

The demonstration produced a median net output of approximately 2 kilowatts and a peak of 16.5 kilowatts. However, net-positive generation lasted just 8.7 seconds, underscoring the technical challenges that remain before subsea geothermal power can become commercially viable.

During the deployment, Endurance drilled and completed a 52-foot geothermal well approximately 5,000 feet beneath the ocean surface. The well produced hydrothermal fluids at temperatures reaching 260°C (500°F), but insufficient flow prevented it from supplying the power plant.

Instead, the company connected its three-ton Adélie generator to a nearby natural hydrothermal vent, where fluids reached approximately 281°C (538°F). The turbine reached speeds of around 26,000 revolutions per minute during the successful generation test.

The operation also demonstrated the ability to control a deep-sea geothermal installation remotely. Engineers in Seattle operated the system using the National Science Foundation’s Regional Cabled Array, an underwater communications network managed by the University of Washington.

The test ended after an electrical protection system interrupted generation, followed by a power cable failure during an attempted restart.

Despite the short operating period, the results provide an initial proof of concept for technology that could eventually supply continuous electricity to coastal grids, industrial facilities, and data centers without depending on weather conditions.

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