This young startup wants to power floating data centers with the ocean’s heat, and investors are already on board
Drogue is harvesting heat from the ocean to power data centers on floating vessels. The first prototype should be bobbing around the ocean, crunching bits, in less than two years.
The ocean, a source of immense power, is holding more energy than ever before due to global warming. A new startup, Drogue, is building a system to harness this heat and power floating data centers. Co-founder and CEO Sam Sipe aims to have the first prototype operational within two years. The goal is to meet the fast-paced demands of the AI industry, which has grown tenfold in just three years.
Drogue, founded six months ago in Washington, D.C., has already raised $20 million in investment, including from several prominent venture capital firms. The company's technology uses a temperature difference between warm surface water and deep ocean water to generate electricity, a process known as ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC).
Early efforts in OTEC were abandoned in the 1980s, but advancements in manufacturing techniques have made the system viable again. Drogue's plan is to install a multi-megawatt prototype on a traditional ship and send it out to sea in early 2028. Future versions will be built on floating structures resembling offshore oil platforms.
The startup has received "approval in principle" from the American Bureau of Shipping, the organization that sets safety standards for ships. Once a ship is secured, Drogue will begin building a prototype ready for the open ocean.
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