Ocean currents move enormous volumes of water around the planet every day, creating a continuous and highly predictable source of energy with significant potential for power generation. Equinox Ocean Turbines (EQOT) is developing technology designed to turn that movement into utility-scale electricity.
In July 2026, EQOT completed open-water testing of the Mobula® 5, a 1:10-scale, 30-kilowatt prototype with a five-meter rotor, in the Marsdiep near Texel. It marked the first time the turbine had been deployed and operated outside a controlled testing environment.
Based in the Netherlands, Equinox Ocean Turbines was founded in 2020 by Pieter de Haas, a veteran of the European marine energy sector. EQOT is now applying that experience to a different—and potentially much larger—resource: the powerful ocean currents that circulate continuously through regions including the Gulf Stream off the United States, the Kuroshio Current near Japan, and the Agulhas Current off South Africa. The company estimates that the global resource represents more than 700 GW of largely untapped energy potential.
A Different Way to Harness the Ocean
At the center of EQDT’s work is the Mobula®, a patented two-stage turbine designed to make electricity generation from relatively low-speed ocean currents commercially viable.
Unlike conventional turbine designs, the Mobula® uses a large, free-running rotor to capture energy from the current, while smaller high-speed turbines mounted at the blade tips generate electricity. The full-scale Mobula® 50 is designed to produce 2 MW per unit and operate in arrays anchored in deep water.
Because major ocean currents flow continuously and predictably, EQOT sees the technology as a potential source of around-the-clock renewable power that can complement variable resources such as wind and solar.
The company has also deliberately built its technology around proven components and engineering practices from offshore wind, shipbuilding, and oil and gas. Rather than reinventing every part of the turbine, EQOT combines established technologies in a new configuration—an approach intended to reduce technical risk as the system moves toward commercial scale.
From Prototype to Open Water
During the 2026 Mobula® 5 campaign, the team successfully deployed and recovered the turbine, demonstrated controlled diving and surfacing, started and stopped the rotor, and generated electrical power. The tests validated the drivetrain, power take-off, generator, and attitude-control systems working together to advance to Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL 6).
Next is the Mobula® 25, a 25-meter semi-floating system targeted for deployment in 2028. That demonstration is intended to pave the way for the full-scale 2 MW Mobula® 50, targeted for commercial deployment in 2030.
Bringing Ocean Current Energy to the U.S.
As EQOT moves toward commercialization, the United States is one of three priority markets, alongside Japan and South Africa.
Its primary U.S. target is the Florida Current, one of the strongest sections of the Gulf Stream and relatively close to shore. EQOT has already begun regulatory engagement and permitting exploration in the United States, with plans to eventually deploy Mobula® technology there.
The company’s ambitions extend beyond installing turbines. EQOT envisions building a U.S. ecosystem around future projects, including manufacturing, assembly, testing, installation, and maintenance.
Its supply chain strategy borrows from shipbuilding: complex core components can be manufactured centrally, while final assembly of large turbine components takes place at shipyards near deployment sites. That model could reduce transportation requirements, increase local content, and create opportunities for existing maritime businesses as ocean current energy scales.
As an Oceantic Network member, EQOT has gained a direct connection to the U.S. marine renewables community. The team attended the 2025 International Partnering Forum in Virginia Beach, meeting developers, suppliers, and fellow innovators as it builds relationships in the American market.
With successful open-water testing behind it and its next generation of technology underway, Equinox Ocean Turbines is now focused on moving ocean current energy from demonstration toward commercial deployment.
The company has opened its next funding round and is seeking partners and investors as it advances the Mobula® 25, builds its presence in priority markets, and works toward deployment of the full-scale Mobula® 50.
