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Startup plans geothermal power pilot using seafloor volcano heat off Oregon
The project, a 100-kilowatt generator scheduled for September, will run as the fifth similar pilot to test whether the heat can be turned into commercial round-the-clock electricity.
A Seattle startup, Endurance Energy, is preparing a geothermal power pilot that taps heat from undersea volcanoes off Oregon’s coast. The company plans to deploy a 100-kilowatt geothermal generator to the seafloor in September, where a hydrothermal vent can reach temperatures of up to 750 degrees Fahrenheit.
The initiative will be the fifth pilot of its kind, designed to evaluate the viability of converting that geothermal heat into commercially competitive power. Endurance Energy says the goal is round-the-clock electricity with no emissions.
Endurance Energy founder and CEO Andrew Redd said addressing the clean power problem could deliver scalable impact, according to a recent GeekWire quote cited by OilPrice.
The story also notes geothermal’s appeal as a baseload clean power source, since it is not variable like wind and solar and can generate power at any time of day to match demand. OilPrice adds that geothermal also has broad bipartisan support, which it says can make the technology more attractive to investors than some other parts of the clean energy space.