We grow microalgae beneath the Pacific Ocean and refine it into certified, drop-in renewable diesel. Built to fuel the delivery fleets and trucking operations that move everything across America. No farmland. No freshwater. Just ocean.
UnderSea Energy built a proprietary production process that grows microalgae beneath the ocean surface and refines it into renewable diesel. Microalgae contains more oil per unit than any feedstock currently used to make fuel. It grows faster than corn. And unlike every land-based alternative, it requires zero arable land and zero freshwater.
We identified the oil profiles that optimize renewable diesel yield, then engineered a cultivation system to produce them at scale. The output is a certified drop-in fuel that is chemically indistinguishable from petroleum diesel. It goes straight into existing engines without modification.
Our customers are in delivery and trucking. The parcel carriers running 200 stops a day. The long-haul fleets moving freight coast to coast. The grocery vans, the same-day couriers, the regional distributors. Every one of those vehicles burns diesel. We make a cleaner version of it from the ocean.
The ocean covers 72% of the earth. It is free to use. It has no acreage limitations. That is the competitive advantage.
"I want to change the delivery and trucking industries, eliminate the use of fossil fuel in logistics, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and start utilizing an untapped natural resource that we can grow ourselves naturally in the ocean. That is what drives me every day."
27 Orcaspheres deployed 50 feet below the Pacific Ocean surface off the Southern California coast. Coast Guard approved.
Each Orcasphere is topped with a battery-operated hydrogen fuel cell for energy generation and an internal light source to drive algae growth underwater.
An Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion system makes each Orcasphere fully self-sufficient by capturing the temperature differential between surface and deep water.
Orcaspheres are elevated to the surface. Algae is pumped out, salt is separated, and the raw product is ready for refinement into renewable diesel. That simple.
100% algae-derived. True drop-in replacement. Chemically indistinguishable from petroleum-based diesel. Fewer tailpipe particulates. No engine modifications. No blending required. Pump it and go.
ASTM D 975 · Drop-In CompatibleBuilt for the fleets that move everything. Last-mile delivery vans running 200+ stops a day. Long-haul trucks moving freight across the country. Regional distributors, grocery carriers, same-day couriers. If it burns diesel and moves goods, we serve it.
Last-Mile · Long-Haul · Regional · FreightSame performance. Same range. Same refueling infrastructure. Fleet operators switch without downtime, retraining, or capital expenditure on new vehicles. The transition cost is zero because the fuel is identical.
No Retrofit · No Downtime · No CapexRenewable diesel is not a blend. It is not an additive. It is a hydrocarbon fuel with the same molecular structure as petroleum diesel, produced from a different source. Here is how it measures against the fuel your fleet burns today.
| Property | Petroleum Diesel | UnderSea Renewable Diesel |
|---|---|---|
| Cetane Number | 40 to 55 | 70 to 90 |
| Sulfur Content | ≤ 15 ppm | < 5 ppm |
| Aromatic Content | 25% to 35% | Near zero |
| Oxidation Stability | Moderate | Excellent |
| Storage Life | 6 to 12 months | Extended |
| Cold Weather Performance | Additive dependent | Tailorable cloud point |
| Engine Modification | None | None |
| Blend Requirement | N/A | None. 100% neat. |
| Specification | ASTM D 975 | ASTM D 975 |
Higher cetane means faster ignition and more complete combustion. Lower aromatics and near-zero sulfur mean fewer particulates out the tailpipe. Better oxidation stability means the fuel sits in a tank longer without degrading.
Fleet operators face tightening emissions regulations in California and a growing list of other states. Renewable diesel reduces measured pollutants without a single change to the vehicle.
No new trucks. No charging infrastructure. No range anxiety. No downtime while a fleet transitions. The compliance path is the fuel itself.
Every Orcasphere is an independent production unit. Self-powered. Self-contained. Adding capacity means adding spheres, not building refineries.
Currently deployed off the Southern California coast
Peak algae yield per unit at full capacity
Total current production across the array
Zero land use. Zero freshwater draw. Zero crop displacement.
No new vehicles. No retrofits. No charging depots. The fuel drops into the trucks you already own and the pumps you already have.
Switching fuels does not take a vehicle off the road. There is no transition period, no dual-fuel logistics, no driver retraining.
Diesel engines deliver identical torque and towing capacity. Route planning does not change. Payload does not change.
California and a growing list of states are tightening fleet emissions rules. Renewable diesel is a compliance lever that requires no fleet turnover.
Produced off the California coast. Not imported. Not subject to foreign oil price shocks or overseas supply disruption.
A measurable reduction in fleet carbon intensity that holds up under scrutiny. Real numbers for corporate ESG disclosure, not offsets.
UnderSea Energy is established in Los Angeles with a single premise: microalgae is the most efficient oil-producing organism on earth, and the ocean is the only place to grow it at scale.
Design and engineering of the polymer sphere cultivation unit. Integration of the hydrogen fuel cell power system, internal light source, and Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion loop into a single self-sufficient production module.
Operational clearance secured for submerged deployment in Pacific waters. First Orcaspheres tri-anchored to the seafloor at 50 feet of depth off the Southern California coast.
Array expansion to current capacity. Production focus consolidated on a single product line: drop-in renewable diesel meeting ASTM D 975.
Supplying renewable diesel to last-mile delivery fleets, long-haul carriers, regional distributors, and freight operators across the market.
Pursuing U.S. Navy military specification certification for marine diesel. Positioning to supply the largest single diesel consumer in the world under the Green Fleet and Farm to Fleet mandates.
Each additional Orcasphere adds production capacity without adding land, freshwater draw, or refinery infrastructure. The model scales linearly. The ocean does not run out.
No. Biodiesel is a fatty acid methyl ester that typically requires blending and can cause issues with cold weather performance, storage stability, and fuel system components. Renewable diesel is a true hydrocarbon, chemically identical to petroleum diesel. It runs neat at 100% with no blending and no engine modification. We produce renewable diesel exclusively.
No. Renewable diesel meets ASTM D 975, the same specification as petroleum diesel. It works in factory-standard engines, existing fuel systems, and existing storage tanks. You can switch between the two without flushing anything.
Renewable diesel meeting ASTM D 975 is accepted by major engine manufacturers. Because the fuel is chemically indistinguishable from petroleum diesel, it falls within standard fuel specifications. Fleet operators should confirm with their specific OEM, as with any fuel decision.
Renewable diesel has a tailorable cloud point, which means cold flow properties can be specified during production rather than corrected with aftermarket additives. This is a meaningful advantage over biodiesel, which gels at higher temperatures.
Energy density is marginally lower than petroleum diesel, but the higher cetane number produces more complete combustion. In practice, fleet operators report negligible difference in miles per gallon under real-world duty cycles.
Land-based algae cultivation requires acreage, freshwater, and constant temperature management. The ocean provides all three for free. It covers 72% of the planet, it self-regulates temperature, and it does not compete with food crops the way corn ethanol and soy biodiesel do. Every Orcasphere we deploy adds capacity without consuming a single acre.
Each unit is a sealed polymer sphere anchored to a sandy seafloor with a three-point mooring system. The algae is contained inside. Deployment sites and mooring configurations are Coast Guard approved. The spheres are powered by an onboard hydrogen fuel cell and an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion loop, so they draw no shore power.
Current array capacity is 27 Orcaspheres. Supply commitments are structured against that capacity. Because each sphere is an independent production unit, we scale by adding spheres rather than expanding refinery throughput. Contact us to discuss volume requirements.
"Today we fuel the trucks and vans that deliver everything to your door. Tomorrow we fuel the ships that defend this country. Same fuel. Same ocean. The only thing that changes is the scale."
Thomas Peters · FounderWhether you run 40 delivery vans or 4,000 long-haul trucks, the conversation starts the same way. Tell us what you burn today and we will tell you what switching looks like.
