For the first time in history: an underwater volcano produced more electricity than required

For the first time in history, an American energy company produced a surplus of electricity from the heat of an active underwater volcano at a depth of 1,500 meters. The experiment lasted 8.7 seconds until a safety system shut it down, but the facility generated more power than it consumed. The company plans a larger test this coming winter.

The American energy company "Endurance Energy" from Seattle succeeded for the first time in producing a net surplus of clean electricity from the heat of an active underwater volcano. The experiment was conducted in September 2026 at the Axial Seamount, about 480 km off the coast of Oregon, at a depth of 1,500 meters. Boiling water at a temperature of 281 degrees Celsius drove a turbine at 26,000 revolutions per minute. The facility produced a median net surplus of 2 kilowatts, with a peak of 16.5 kilowatts over 8.7 seconds, until an electrical protection system stopped the operation. The company, led by Andrew Red, plans a larger generator named "Gento" with a capacity of 100 kilowatts for the coming winter, and a commercial project in Tonga by 2027. Alongside the enthusiasm, the article raises environmental questions and points out limitations: the electricity surplus does not include drilling and transport energy, and the data was published by the company without peer review.