From rebuilding engines to crafting a backyard hockey rink, Andrew Walz (‘23, ‘24) grew up with an engineering mindset. “It’s cool to look at raw material and see what it could be,” he says. Today, that imagination has propelled him to the forefront of the renewable energy industry as the head of research & development at Energyminer, a German startup building a first‑of‑its‑kind underwater renewable power system on the Rhine River.

“The energy is literally just sitting there,” Walz said of the world’s rivers and tidal currents. “We just need a way to harness it.”

Energyminer is deploying 124 micro-hydropower turbines into the Rhine, where they’ll sit just below the river’s surface and generate energy that goes to the local utility grid. A fleet of 100 turbines provides enough energy to power about 470 homes. “We’re the first company to do anything like this,” Walz said. “Once we demonstrate the performance of the system at this scale, we’ll have a strong foundation to expand to other locations around Germany, Europe, and hopefully the world.”

Walz earned both a bachelor's and master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD). He was active beyond the classroom as a member of Bulldog Rocketry, the 3D Printing Club, Tau Beta Pi and served as a physics and math tutor. He also cofounded a pond hockey club to stay physically active and enjoy Duluth winters with friends. But it was his undergraduate research experience working with ground-source heat pump design optimization where he learned skills he directly applies today in his professional career. “I was introduced to computational fluid dynamics, which is a common tool that engineers can use to simulate fluid flow through pipes or other devices,” Walz said. “It was like a kick start to where I'm at now.”

After finishing his undergraduate degree, Walz was at a crossroads. On the one hand, he had already received a job offer from a Twin Cities engineering firm, and was prepared to enter the workforce. On the other hand, he felt a desire to continue his education and deepen his learning. He turned to Craig Hill for advice. Hill, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at UMD whose research is focused on renewable energy and low-cost marine monitoring systems, asked Walz if he had considered renewable energy as a career path. The idea was appealing. “Why not be part of a growing field…be the person who is trying things for the first time,” Walz said. Hill connected Walz to a colleague at Energyminer, which led to back‑to‑back internships, and eventually a full‑time role.

During his master’s program, Walz participated in three marine energy conferences, including a trip to Japan where he earned the Best Student Presentation Award at the International Platform on Ocean Energy for Young Researchers. He also helped host a marine energy conference in Duluth where he convinced attendees to take a plunge into Lake Superior. Today, he hopes to share that same excitement about the potential of water as a source of energy and is motivated to develop new ways to develop clean energy. “The fun part with that is it’s just a lot of trial and error… and the trial and error process is really exciting,” he said.

Learn about UMD’s new maritime engineering track designed to prepare students for a future in the maritime industry.