3D-Printed Turbines Reduce Hydropower Costs at U.S. Dams

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Wisconsin startup Cadens have developed 3D-printed turbines that could reduce hydropower costs by up to 40 percent per kilowatt. The technology also allows retrofitting of existing dams. Of roughly 90,000 U.S. dams, fewer than 3 percent currently generate electricity.

The new manufacturing approach could make small-scale hydropower economically viable at an estimated 50,000 of those sites. The breakthrough arrives as the IEA warns that global hydropower growth is running at less than one-third the rate needed to meet clean energy targets.

Background on U.S.

In 2024, hydro provided nearly 15 percent of all the world's electricity. However, hydropower has been declining in global energy systems.

The 3D-printed turbines could unlock hydropower at many of the 90,000 existing U.S. dams that currently do not generate electricity. This could support both energy security and climate goals if the technology reaches commercial scale.