West Limerick tidal project bags further SEAI funding

 
Ireland-based tidal energy developer, GKinetic Energy, has received further funding from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) for its hydrokinetic system.

The funding in the amount of €95,600 from SEAI’s Prototype Development Fund will support the next phase of research and development of GKinetic’s hydrokinetic turbine.

Design modifications will be headed by machine build specialists, Design Pro, with Numerics Warehouse leading the hydro dynamic work, GKinetic informed.

Other partners such as NUI Galway, MaREI, Shannon Foynes Port Company and UCC will also be instrumental during this next phase.

The company plans to re-launch its hydrokinetic system at the Limerick Docks for more advanced testing this summer.

Also, GKinetic was just shortlisted in the InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition, securing the chance to win a share of €280,000 cash prize fund.

To remind, GKinetic successfully deployed and tested a 13 KWh hydrokinetic turbine at the Limerick Docks, a custom designed test facility that the company created with Shannon Foynes Port Company.

Prior to this, in 2014 the company completed the validation tests in the IFREMER testing centre in France.

The design of the device exploits the natural phenomena that occurs when water accelerates around an obstacle. The compact design and size of the GKinetic device also mean that it can operate in as little depth as 2 m and a width of 3 m, in addition to low operational and maintenance costs, according to the company.