Limerick tidal energy innovator in the running for $100K Ocean Exchange prize

Limerick company, GKinetic Energy, has been named as one of twelve global ocean innovations short-listed for two $100,000 US awards as part of the prestigious ‘Ocean Exchange’ Awards. They are the only Irish company selected and one of 2 finalists from Europe. 

GKinetic Energy is competing with its floating water turbines that work with nature to generate 100% predictable energy.

©GKinetic Energy Ltd 2021

Celebrating its tenth anniversary, Ocean Exchange will be held in Fort Lauderdale, in Florida from 24-26th October 2021. The event will showcase twelve innovations with the ability to generate economic growth and increase productivity while reducing the use of nature’s resources and the production of waste and emissions.

Millicent Pitts, executive director of Ocean Exchange, said:

“Starting in 2011, the Ocean Exchange founders believed that amazing solutions exist to solve many of the challenges of healthy oceans but those start-ups needed funding and other help to advance to deployment and commercialization. In ten years, we’ve proven that hypothesis and have a track record looking back with solutions that are having an important impact for healthy oceans, sustainable ocean shipping, and resilient coastal systems.  We now start our next decade with a short list of start-ups who will compete for our two $100,000 cash awards”.

Learn more about Ocean Exchange at www.oceanexchange.org. 

GKinetic Energy, set up in 2014, have been making great headway on their road to commercialising their technology. They previously carried out tow tests of a full scale 10kW device in the Limerick Docks and more recently had a model of their final, market-ready 12kW product in the IFREMER test tank in France which validated final design improvements and optimisations. 

The company plans to grow their team over the coming months with at least 3 positions opening up in October/November. They are also a technology solutions provider into the local +CityxChange project and have just filed for planning permission to deploy 3 units upstream of Thomond Weir next year.