A partnership between GKinetic Energy and Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) is exploring how advanced 3D printing could make river turbines faster and more affordable to produce. Supported by an Enterprise Ireland Innovation Voucher, the project places renewable engineering and advanced manufacturing at the centre of Ireland’s clean-energy innovation agenda.
From aluminium fabrication to large-format 3D printing
GKinetic Energy is developing a 3kW hydrokinetic turbine designed to generate electricity from moving water in rivers, canals, estuaries and tidal environments. The company is currently focused on commercial river deployments in Ireland.
Its system uses a floating platform and a specially shaped bluff body to accelerate water towards twin vertical-axis rotors. Existing prototypes are made through traditional sheet-aluminium fabrication. The new collaboration will assess whether Large Format Additive Manufacturing, or LFAM, can produce the turbine body more efficiently.
Unlike conventional manufacturing, LFAM can create complex hydrodynamic shapes with fewer individual components. The expected benefits include:
- Shorter production and assembly times
- Lower manufacturing costs
- Greater freedom to refine the turbine’s geometry
- Potential improvements in energy-generation efficiency
Why the project matters for Ireland’s clean-energy economy
The initiative reflects a wider shift in business news Ireland, where engineering companies, research organisations and public funding bodies are working together to commercialise climate technologies. For GKinetic, access to IMR’s equipment and expertise provides an opportunity to test production methods that may otherwise be difficult for a growing company to access.
The project will also investigate recycled plastic materials for the turbine body. That work supports GKinetic’s sustainability objectives and aligns with the broader European focus on resource efficiency and resilient manufacturing supply chains.
What the technical programme will examine
The collaboration is expected to cover design optimisation for LFAM, production-time and material simulations, material testing, and a cost comparison with conventional fabrication. The partners also plan to produce a full-scale printed prototype.
These steps are important because a successful demonstration will need to prove more than technical feasibility. It must also show that the manufacturing route can deliver reliable performance, competitive costs and a practical pathway to commercial production.
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Research support gives a smaller company room to scale
Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Voucher scheme is designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises collaborate with specialist knowledge providers. In this case, the support connects GKinetic with IMR, a research and technology organisation working across sustainable manufacturing, design for manufacturing, digitisation, and robotics and automation.
GKinetic, founded in 2014 and based in Newcastle West, County Limerick, has secured more than €5.3 million in development funding and has completed deployments in Ireland, the United Kingdom and France. Its technology is intended to support decentralised power generation for commercial and distributed-energy markets.
IMR’s role is to help reduce the technical and commercial risks associated with adopting an emerging manufacturing process. The partnership also illustrates how Irish startups and established research capabilities can combine to develop export-ready products.
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What happens next?
The immediate priority is to complete the design studies, material assessments and full-scale prototype. The findings should help GKinetic decide how LFAM can be incorporated into future turbine production and whether recycled materials can meet the required performance standards.
The project arrives as Ireland seeks practical ways to expand renewable generation while strengthening domestic manufacturing expertise. If the printed design performs as intended, it could help GKinetic reduce production complexity and move closer to wider commercial deployment.
Frequently asked questions
What is GKinetic’s technology?
GKinetic develops hydrokinetic turbines that generate electricity from the movement of free-flowing water.
What is LFAM?
Large Format Additive Manufacturing is an industrial 3D-printing process used to create large components and complex shapes.
Who is supporting the project?
The project is supported through an Enterprise Ireland Innovation Voucher and delivered in collaboration with Irish Manufacturing Research.
Key takeaway: The GKinetic–IMR partnership shows how advanced manufacturing can help turn Irish clean-energy engineering into a more scalable commercial opportunity. It is a significant development for business news Ireland and the country’s renewable technology pipeline.