About us
OceanBit specializes in ocean thermal energy systems and high-density compute infrastructure for coastal and island energy resilience.
Established in Hawaii, we invented a novel way of monetizing variable energy demand eliminating uptime curtailment, reducing data centre operational costs and providing renewable caseload to grids in the Pacific, and beyond.
It’s ocean thermal power plants – done differently.
Our team and advisors have worked on nearly every ocean thermal energy development over the past three decades with 100+ years of combined ocean thermal energy experience, and on some of the largest offshore renewable energy projects globally.
Pairing this experience with innovations in technology, engineering, and design, we are building a new generation of ocean thermal power plants.
Our technology and solutions
Grid Solution
Conventional OTEC power plants struggle commercially as they generate baseload energy regardless of demand. This leads to wasted capacity when the grid is under-utilized.
Our solution pairs ocean-thermal power generation with a flexible, high-density compute load that dynamically adjusts to grid demand, known as Demand Response OTEC (DROTEC). This turns excess into value, not waste.
Data Center Solution
Data centers produce a significant amount of low-grade heat and require cooling equipment that can account for ~40% of the center’s total electricity use.
Our combined cooling and power system eliminates the cooling energy and water consumption of a data center while providing baseload zero-carbon energy.
See our sister company, OceanBit APAC, to learn more about our projects in Australasia Pacific region. This entity has been specifically established to target the unique needs of the Pacific Islands and operates from Australia.
Our Leadership and Key Experts
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Nathaniel Harmon, M.S.
Cofounder & CEO
Nate is a chemical oceanographer and engineer who received his M.S. in Geochemistry and Marine Geology and a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. His research focused on autonomous oceanographic instrument development and microfluidic chemical engineering. Following he worked on proposals and research for the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, facilitated Hawaii's entrance into the International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification, founded the software development and consulting firm Blockchain Solutions Hawaii, sits on the advisory board of the Hawaiian Islands Conservation Collective, and is the inventor of Demand Response OTEC. He’s conducted at sea research expeditions and is a SCUBA instructor with thousands of dives globally.Samuel Benson, PG.D.
Cofounder & President
Sam is a Class 1 Marine Engineer with over ten years sailing around South East Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. Sam worked at sea on vessels as a Chief Engineer before shifting ashore into maritime operations and vessel management for Teekay Shipping Australia, leading the teams responsible for the safe operation of Government services vessels. His experience includes vessel design and refit activities, compliance and safety, management and operations. -
Richard Argall, M.S.
Ocean Energy EngineeringSteve Kibbee, D.Eng
Offshore Energy PlatformsRete Browning, M.S.
Data Centers & Energy MonetizationChris Sabine, Ph.D.
Marine Carbon Dioxide RemovalGérard Nihous, Ph.D.
Ocean Energy Resource & Data ModelingCory Klippsten, MBA
Movement Marketing & FundraisingMartin Brown, M.S.
Naval Architect & Offshore Engineer -
Luis Vega, Ph.D.
R&D Engineering Lead
Luis is the world’s leading OTEC engineer and the former Director of Hawaii’s National Marine Renewable Energy Center. He holds degrees in Applied Math, Aeronautical Engineering and Applied Ocean Science from the US Naval Academy, CALTECH and UCSD. He has worked with the UN, Department of Energy, US Navy, and Lockheed Martin on OTEC and renewable energy projects across the globe. His experience ranges from analytical studies to deployment of marine and renewable energy tech. He has worked on five of the most recent OTEC R&D projects including the largest plant to date, the 1 MW floating vessel conversion OTEC-1.
Curtis Carsten Florager, MRINA, CEngNaval Architect & Marine Project Manager
Chartered Engineer with 10+ years expertise in marine engineering and naval architecture. Project Manager, Damen Australia, specializing in complex vessel refits, naval systems integration, and regulatory compliance. Experience spans defense projects for the Royal Australian Navy, offshore operations, and commercial maritime. Published researcher with Bachelor of Engineering (Ocean Engineering) Honors from Australian Maritime College. Expert in project management, deep water riser design, structural analysis, and marine safety systems.Alexi Makris, M.S.
Energy & Economic Analyst
Alexi holds a M.S. in Sustainability in Energy Provision and Demand Management. He has worked as a Sr. Consultant for BVG Associates, a global renewables and marine energy generation consultancy. He has worked on analysis and modeling for some of the largest global offshore wind projects in the world, from cost modeling and supply chain to economic impact analysis.Cris Windham, Esq.
Legal
Cris is an attorney with over 40 years of experience in Enviromental Law and large-scale Injury Litigation. For over 35 years, he was a partner in a large international firm. During this time, Cris founded and managed a stand-alone business within the firm that focused on all aspects of medical and scientific case defense. The business, known as FirmLogic, provided services ranging from medical record collection and analysis, scientific research, case theory development and expert witness recruitment and development. The company represented clients throughout the U.S and abroad, and consistently produced revenues between $10-20 million annually. In his environmental practice, Cris spent 6 years representing the State of North Carolina as an Assistant Attorney General and worked with “green” technologies in private practice.Jacques-Samuel Prolon, M.S. , MBA
Commercialisation Lead
Jacques-Samuel (JS) has over 25 years’ experience in senior technology and infrastructure roles. He is familiar with the challenges of scaling-up companies, delivering large scale infrastructure projects, and managing strategic partnerships on the global stage.He was part of the core team that turned his former company, Kacific, from a dream to a leading regional satellite operator delivering broadband connectivity to 25 countries, having financed and deployed a $250M infrastructure system.
Previously he also helped grow Appen from a start-up to an ASX listed company with a $350M market capitalisation and a global leadership position.
He holds an eMBA from the AGSM and two masters degrees, including a telecommunications engineering degree from a French grande ecole, Telecom Sud Paris.