Irish energy business GKinetic is preparing to install the first commercial models of a hydroelectric power system that the company says will cut bills for businesses and consumers.
Enterprise Ireland-backed GKinetic has spent €3 million developing technology that can harness water power from rivers to supply businesses and communities directly with electricity.
The Limerick company is preparing to install the first commercial versions of its “river energy stations" at two locations in the Republic.
They will supply electricity to customers including a concrete manufacturer and a restaurant, according to co-founder and chief operations officer Róisín McCormack.
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GKinetic’s product uses floating turbines to generate electricity from free-flowing water without dams, weirs or other barriers, so it does not interfere with fish, aquatic life or small craft, the company says.
The first project will supply Conway Concrete and several homes at Kildavin on the river Slaney on the border of counties Carlow and Wexford, Mc Cormack said.
The second will supply a pub restaurant in Co Cavan, which she noted was spending €12,000 a month on electricity.
“The first project is very much under way,” Mc Cormack confirmed. That will supply 100,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a year to Conway and the other customers. An average Irish home uses about 4,100 kilowatt hours a year.
As GKinetic’s technology cuts reliance on electricity supplied from the national grid, it significantly reduces customers’ bills, she explained.
Conway Concrete’s owner, James Conway, said rising energy bills, increased reliance on diesel generators, solar limitations and grid outages prompted the business to use GKinetic’s system to tap the nearby river Slaney.
The firm also recognised that it needed to cut carbon emissions to operate more sustainably.
“For us, this project is about more than rising energy costs or unreliable power – it’s about taking responsibility for the kind of business we want to be,” he stressed.
Many customers interested in using the Limerick firm’s product have installed solar power, but that often meets just a small proportion of their needs, Mc Cormack added.
Rivers are more predictable and consistent while they generate most electricity during the winter when demand is highest.
McCormack pointed out that data from the State on river flows and water levels aids in calculating the likely amount of electricity they will generate.
She maintained that the system could be used alongside solar, which produces most of its electricity during the summer.
The Government’s pledge to publish the Private Wires Bill, allowing individual electricity customers to connect directly to power plants, could boost the likely market for river energy stations, Mc Cormack predicted.
The company’s most profitable customers are likely to be selling electricity to businesses, farms or hotels close to rivers.
Meanwhile, an EU directive mandating increased industrial use of renewable energy, along with accelerated licensing for such projects, will help increase demand and cut planning delays for the business.
GKinetic spent seven to eight years on research and development. The company has invested €3 million in the business.
Its backers include State agency Enterprise Ireland and private investors.
