GKinetic Energy is working with Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) on a new manufacturing approach for its 3kW river turbine, supported by an Enterprise Ireland Innovation Voucher. The collaboration will examine whether Large Format Additive Manufacturing (LFAM) can make the technology more efficient and economical to produce.
A new manufacturing route for GKinetic’s river turbine
GKinetic, based in Newcastle West, County Limerick, develops hydrokinetic systems that generate electricity from naturally flowing water. Its patented design uses a floating platform and bluff body to direct water towards twin vertical-axis rotors.
The company is currently focused on commercial river deployments in Ireland. Existing prototypes are made using traditional sheet aluminium fabrication, but the partnership with IMR will investigate a 3D-printed turbine body instead.
LFAM could allow GKinetic to create more complex hydrodynamic shapes while reducing the number of components and assembly stages required. The project will assess whether those design and production advantages can improve energy-generation performance and lower manufacturing costs.
What the Innovation Voucher project will examine
Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Voucher scheme enables small and medium-sized companies to work with specialist research organisations. In this case, IMR will provide access to additive manufacturing expertise, equipment and technical support.
The planned work includes:
- Optimising the turbine body design for LFAM production
- Simulating build times and material use
- Testing potential fabrication materials
- Comparing costs with traditional aluminium manufacturing
- Producing a full-scale printed prototype
The partners will also assess recycled plastic materials for the printed structure. That work is intended to support GKinetic’s sustainability objectives and its alignment with the EU Critical Raw Materials Act.
Linking clean energy with advanced manufacturing
The project brings together two areas of Ireland’s technology sector: renewable energy development and advanced manufacturing. For GKinetic, a more flexible production method could support future commercialisation of its river turbine systems. For IMR, the work provides an opportunity to apply LFAM to a demanding renewable-energy engineering challenge.
Members of GKinetic’s engineering team have visited IMR’s facility to review its printing operations and begin technical planning. The research will focus not only on producing a prototype, but also on understanding the practical manufacturing requirements, costs and material performance involved in scaling the design.
GKinetic has secured more than €5.3 million in development funding and has completed deployments in Ireland, the United Kingdom and France, according to Enterprise Ireland. The company was founded in 2014 and develops kilowatt-scale systems for commercial and distributed energy markets.
Potential significance for Ireland’s clean technology sector
Enterprise Ireland said the collaboration reflects the potential for Irish companies and research organisations to develop exportable low-carbon technologies. The partnership also illustrates how innovation support can help smaller businesses test manufacturing methods that may otherwise be difficult to access.
The project does not guarantee that LFAM will replace GKinetic’s existing fabrication process. Its deliverables are designed to establish whether the technology can meet the turbine’s engineering, commercial and sustainability requirements.
What happens next
GKinetic and IMR will now progress through design optimisation, simulations, material testing and cost-benefit analysis before delivering a full-scale printed prototype. The findings should provide a clearer basis for deciding how additive manufacturing could contribute to future river turbine production.
For Ireland’s growing clean technology ecosystem, the partnership highlights the value of combining product innovation with domestic manufacturing expertise. If the approach proves viable, it could help GKinetic produce its hydrokinetic systems more efficiently while supporting the development of scalable renewable-energy technology.