OceanBit and Energy Estate have announced a partnership to develop ocean thermal power plants and associated digital infrastructure, with an initial focus on coastal and island communities in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
In a joint media release, the firms said the collaboration aims to enhance energy and digital resilience while reducing reliance on diesel-powered generation, which is currently expensive and aging in many island regions.
OceanBit specialises in Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) technology, which harnesses ocean thermal gradients to generate sustainable power. The company also co-locates its energy systems with data centres.
Energy Estate is an energy and infrastructure development firm with a focus on regional economic development.
Vincent Dwyer, Co-Founder of Energy Estate, said the partnership would “create resilient, future-ready ecosystems that deliver real and enduring benefits for coastal communities and industry” by combining OceanBit’s technology with Energy Estate’s experience in energy and digital infrastructure development.
The initiative will also complement Energy Estate Digital’s expansion of subsea data cables connecting major hubs including California, Japan, India, and Australia/New Zealand, with landing points on islands such as Hawaii, Fiji, the Maldives, and the Cocos Islands.
Nathaniel Harmon, Co-Founder and CEO of OceanBit, said the collaboration would “accelerate our mission to deliver sustainable energy to global communities like ours in Hawaii through data solutions,” and set “new benchmarks for energy efficiency, connectivity and environmental stewardship.”
Simon Currie, Co-Founder and Chief Projects Officer of Energy Estate, added that co-locating data centers with ocean thermal power plants would reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports and support existing and new industries by providing access to enhanced digital infrastructure.
He noted that OTEC technology is repeatable, allowing for scalable deployment across multiple island and coastal locations.
