Instead of large dams or conventional hydroelectric power plants, Energyminer relies on small, modular systems. The "Energyfish" floats in the river, harnessing the natural current to generate electricity. Several of these units are combined in a section of the river to form a so-called swarm power plant.
Pitch & People Episodes
PITCH & PEOPLE Episode 23: Energyminer
An answer to the baseload gap
Behind the idea stands for Richard Eckl, CEO of EnergyminerThis is a fundamental problem of the current energy supply. In recent years, more and more conventional power plants have been shut down. At the same time, the share of renewable energies is growing, but their electricity production fluctuates considerably.
"In recent years, more and more baseload power plants have been shut down and replaced by fluctuating renewable energies. This is fundamentally positive – however, it has not yet been possible to replace the resulting baseload. This creates a gap in the electricity supply."
so Eckl in our Videocast Pitch & People.
This is precisely where Energyminer sees an opportunity. While wind and solar energy are heavily dependent on the weather, a river flows continuously – and so does the energy. The startup's technology harnesses this flow directly, without damming or diverting the river.
The idea behind it: a new form of hydropower that can be installed flexibly and yet generates electricity continuously.
Floating power plants instead of dams
The heart of the technology is the Energyfish – a floating turbine anchored in the river. Several of these systems are secured to the riverbed with a rope and connected via cables to a land-based station. There, the generated electricity is collected and fed into the grid via inverters.
A major advantage: Installation is relatively simple. The systems can be anchored from a boat without the need for extensive construction work or concrete structures. This allows the river to remain largely in its natural state.
The concept is also modular. Individual turbines can be combined to form larger units – depending on how much space a section of the river offers.
Electricity for entire communities
How much energy can actually be generated with this approach? According to Eckl, even a single plant makes a noticeable contribution.
"A single Energyfish can supply approximately five households with electricity. A typical swarm power plant with around 100 units could therefore supply about 500 households permanently and around the clock in base load operation."
The power output depends heavily on the flow velocity of the respective river. However, since rivers flow continuously and their velocity usually changes only slowly, electricity production can be relatively stable.
This could make the technology particularly interesting for municipalities or regional energy suppliers who want to expand their electricity production in a decentralized manner.
From pilot projects to the first large power plant
Energyminer is still in an early stage of implementation. Several systems are currently being tested in rivers. – including in Germany. At the same time, the company is working on realizing the first large-scale commercial swarm power plant.
In parallel, the startup is already exploring further locations in Europe. Initial steps have been taken in Austria and Italy, among other countries, where discussions with authorities are also underway.
The long-term goal: To scale the technology not only regionally, but internationally.
Energyminer was founded in 2021 by Dr. Richard Eckl and Dr. Georg Walder and is based in Gröbenzell near Munich. The startup develops technologies for harnessing the kinetic energy of rivers. With its floating turbines, the so-called Energyfish, the company generates electricity directly from the natural flow of rivers. Several units are combined to form swarm power plants and feed electricity into the grid together. Energyminer's goal is to provide a scalable and baseload-capable form of renewable energy.
A global energy potential
Eckl believes the theoretical potential of the technology is enormous:
"Even when taking many factors into account worldwide – such as shipping, lack of power connections or unsuitable rivers – there is still enormous potential. Overall, we are talking about a capacity on the order of hundreds of nuclear power plants that could be unlocked in this way."
This does not refer to a single power plant, but to the total potential power that could be generated from river currents worldwide.
Building block for the climate-neutral city
Eckl is certain: The energy supply of the future will not be based on a single technology. Instead, a network of various renewable sources will emerge, which will be combined with one another.
Decentralized systems that generate electricity locally and are interconnected could play a central role in this. The founder also sees Energyfish as an important component of this energy mix.
Energyminer is still seeking investors to take the next step and build its first large-scale power plant. If successful, floating turbines from Munich could contribute to a more sustainable energy supply worldwide.
