GUGLER Water Turbines

What GUGLER Water Turbines does

GUGLER Water Turbines GmbH is a third-generation, family-owned Austrian engineering company that designs and manufactures water turbines and complete electromechanical equipment for small and medium-sized hydropower plants in the 50 kW to 40 MW per-unit range. Its core product portfolio covers Kaplan turbines (low head, up to 20 MW), Francis turbines (medium head, up to 40 MW), Pelton turbines (high head, up to 40 MW), and pump-turbines for pumped storage (up to 20 MW). Technical differentiation rests on CFD-based runner optimization, FEM structural analysis, model testing at external fluid-dynamics institutes, and runners machined from forged monoblock stainless steel. The company claims more than 1,000 turbines installed across 100+ countries, with a 100+ year family heritage in hydropower.

GUGLER sells on a project-based, capital-equipment model through a global enterprise field-sales organization supported by a network of regional representatives in markets including Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Türkiye, Colombia, Indonesia, Peru, and the USA, plus a wholly-owned Turkish subsidiary (GUGLER SU TÜRBİNLERİ LTD. ŞTİ.). Its "water-to-wire" offering bundles turbine, generator, valves, switchgear, transformer, and a proprietary GUGLER TURBINE control system delivered via the H&W Control subsidiary (PLC, HMI, SCADA on Siemens/Schneider Electric hardware). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; revenue streams combine one-time hardware sales (new builds, refurbishment/upgrade projects) with project-tied professional services (planning, erection, commissioning, training, spare parts, maintenance).

Primary customers are developers and operators of small and medium hydropower plants — utilities, industrial offtakers (e.g., pewag in Austria), and community or government-backed projects across Southeast Asia, South America, Africa, Central Asia, and Europe. With 65+ in-house employees and reliance on hundreds of partner-company manufacturing specialists, GUGLER occupies a niche where large multi-GW turbine OEMs (Andritz, Voith, GE) are less focused.

Name

GUGLER Water Turbines

Legal name

GUGLER Water Turbines GmbH

Website

https://gugler.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GUGLER Water Turbines GmbH is a third-generation Austrian family-owned manufacturer of Kaplan, Francis, Pelton, and pump-turbines (50 kW to 40 MW) and complete "water-to-wire" electromechanical equipment for small and medium hydropower developers and operators worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hydropower Turbines

NAICS

Turbine and Turbine Generator Set Units Manufacturing (333611), Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing (3336), Pump and Compressor Manufacturing (33391)

SIC

Engines & Turbines (3510), Motors & Generators (3621), Pumps & Pumping Equipment (3561)

akta.pro primary industry

Hydropower Turbines, Generators & Balance-of-Plant Equipment Manufacturing (EUAMAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Turbines, Generators & Hydromechanical Equipment Manufacturing (OEMs) (EUACAEAH), Hydroelectric Turbines & Governors (IMAHAFAD), Hydropower Balance-of-Plant & Electrical Systems (Transformers, Switchgear, Protection) (EUAMADAD)

Keywords

• Water turbine manufacturing
• Small hydropower plants
• Electromechanical equipment supply
• Pump-turbine systems
• Hydropower plant refurbishment

Headquarters

HQ city

Goldworth

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Hydropower Turbine and Equipment Sales: GUGLER generates revenue through the sale of water turbines (Kaplan, Francis, Pelton, Pump-Turbines) and related electromechanical equipment for small and medium hydropower plants. Revenue is project-based and one-time per installation. The company also supplies specialized turbines (micro, container, siphon, gate, drinking water pipeline turbines) and builds complete turn-key hydropower plants. The model is primarily capital equipment / project-based (one-time license-equivalent sales of physical equipment), not recurring in nature.
2. Services (Planning, Erection, Commissioning, Maintenance): GUGLER offers services including planning support for turbine selection, erection and commissioning, operator staff training, repair works, spare parts supply, and maintenance. Service revenue is generated through project engagement and ongoing maintenance contracts.
3. Refurbishment and Modernization: GUGLER provides upgrading and refurbishment solutions for existing hydropower plants, including new turbine runners, improved automation systems, and modernization of electromechanical equipment. Revenue is project-based per plant.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

GUGLER Water Turbines manufactures and supplies Francis, Kaplan, and Pelton water turbines (50 kW to 40 MW per unit), as well as pump-turbines for pumped-storage plants, together with complete "water-to-wire" electromechanical packages — turbines, generators, control systems, switchgears, transformers, valves, and hydraulic steel structures — for new and refurbished small and medium-sized hydropower plants worldwide. The offering is delivered through project-based engineering, custom manufacturing, on-site commissioning, and lifecycle service.

Product overview

GUGLER Water Turbines offers a comprehensive portfolio of hydropower turbine products and related services for small and medium-sized hydro power plants (50 kW to 40 MW per unit). The core product lineup includes three main turbine types: Kaplan turbines (up to 20 MW) for low-head, high-flow applications; Francis turbines (up to 40 MW) for medium-head applications; and Pelton turbines (up to 40 MW) for high-head applications. These are complemented by pump-turbines (up to 20 MW) for pumped storage and energy storage applications. The company provides complete water-to-wire solutions including proprietary GUGLER TURBINE control systems and SCADA (hardware from Siemens and Schneider Electric), turn-key installation packages, refurbishment services, maintenance, and hydraulic steel structures. A partnership with Exowave extends offerings to wave energy projects. The portfolio is unified by the company's 'Liquid Energy - Solid Engineering' approach, delivering integrated electromechanical solutions from a single source.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kaplan Turbines Kaplan turbines for low-head, high-flow applications with heads from 1 m to 40 m and capacities up to 20 MW per unit; available in open flume, pit, bulb, spiral, and siphon configurations, double or single regulated, with 3 to 8 blades, horizontal, inclined, or vertical setting. Sold to developers, EPC contractors, and operators of small and medium hydropower plants.
• Francis Turbines Francis turbines for medium-head applications from 15 m to 300 m with medium flows and capacities up to 40 MW per unit; available as open-flume for low head or spiral casing for medium head, in horizontal and vertical designs, with runners machined from forged monoblock stainless steel. Sold to developers and operators of small and medium hydropower plants.
• Pelton Turbines Pelton turbines for high-head applications from 50 m to 800 m with smaller flows and capacities up to 40 MW per unit; available in horizontal design (1–3 nozzles) and vertical design (3–6 nozzles), with runners machined from forged monoblock stainless steel. Sold to developers and operators of small and medium hydropower plants, including specialised wave-energy variants via the Exowave partnership.
• Pump-Turbines Reversible pump-turbines and pump-turbine combinations for pumped-storage plants up to 20 MW per unit, including fixed or variable-speed machines, supporting hybrid renewable grids combining wind/solar generation with water-battery storage. Sold to utilities, grid operators, and renewable energy developers building pumped-storage plants.
• Control System and Electrical Equipment Proprietary GUGLER TURBINE control and electrical equipment including PLC programming, HMI development, SCADA, medium-voltage systems, low-voltage systems, and protection technology. Hardware is sourced from Siemens and Schneider Electric, with support for process visualisation, monitoring, remote maintenance, and protocol/network connections, delivered via the H&W Control subsidiary.
• Turn-Key Solutions Complete electromechanical equipment packages for small hydropower plants, including valves, generators, switchgears, transformers, and auxiliary devices delivered as integrated turn-key systems from a single source, avoiding multi-supplier coordination for customers.
• Refurbishment Upgrading and refurbishment solutions for existing hydropower plants, including new turbine runners, improved automation systems, and modernisation of electromechanical equipment, delivered to extend plant lifespan, increase output, and improve efficiency without full reconstruction.
• Service Comprehensive lifecycle support for hydropower plants, including planning consultation for turbine selection, erection, commissioning, operator training, spare parts supply, repair works, and maintenance. Sold to operators of GUGLER and legacy hydropower equipment.
• Hydraulic Steel Structures Auxiliary equipment for hydropower installations, including trashracks, trashrack cleaning machines, gates, and flaps, supplied as part of complete hydropower packages.
• Wave Energy Solutions Specialised Pelton turbines, generators, and electrical equipment for wave energy projects that convert ocean wave power into clean electricity, delivered in partnership with Exowave.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1,000 turbines successfully installed worldwide across over 100 countries
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and supporting.

• ExowaveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGUGLER has a cooperation with Exowave for wave energy projects. Under this partnership, GUGLER supplies specialized Pelton turbines, generators, and electrical equipment for wave energy projects, enabling the efficient conversion of ocean wave power into clean electricity.
• H&W ControlcoreTechnology or IntegrationH&W Control is a subsidiary of GUGLER providing state-of-the-art automation systems for hydropower plants, including control and protection systems, SCADA, and remote maintenance capabilities. Their systems are integrated into GUGLER's 'water-to-wire' solutions for seamless plant management and grid stability.
• Hundreds of Manufacturing Specialists (Partner Companies)coreOthersGUGLER relies on hundreds of manufacturing specialists at partner companies for production capacity, in addition to its 65+ in-house employees.
• SiemenssupportingTechnology or IntegrationGUGLER equips its control and medium/low voltage systems with hardware from Siemens, ensuring reliability and longevity of solutions along with long-term support for seamless operation.
• Schneider ElectricsupportingTechnology or IntegrationGUGLER equips its control and medium/low voltage systems with hardware from Schneider Electric, ensuring reliability and longevity of solutions along with long-term support for seamless operation.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• GE Vernova (Hydro): Large diversified energy OEM with a hydro business supplying turbines, generators, balance-of-plant, and grid integration for utility-scale hydropower including small hydro. Offers overlapping capabilities to GUGLER but as part of a much broader power-generation portfolio.

Direct peers

• Voith Hydro: German-headquartered global hydro OEM providing turbines, generators, automation, and full-service solutions across large and small hydropower. Competes with GUGLER on Francis, Kaplan, and Pelton equipment supply, and overlaps on refurbishment/upgrades of existing hydro plants — albeit at much larger project scope.
• Mavel: Czech-based manufacturer of small and medium hydro turbines (Pelton, Francis, Kaplan) up to ~30 MW including generators, control systems, and turn-key delivery. Competes with GUGLER in the same size class and on a similar full water-to-wire value proposition.
• Gilkes: UK-based small and medium hydropower turbine manufacturer specializing in Francis, Pelton, and Kaplan turbines plus full electromechanical packages. Gilkes is one of the closest-size comparable direct peers to GUGLER in the small-hydro OEM segment worldwide.
• ANDRITZ Hydro: Austrian-headquartered global supplier of turbines, generators, and electromechanical equipment for hydropower plants across all sizes, including small and medium hydro up to multi-hundred-MW. ANDRITZ competes head-to-head with GUGLER on Francis, Kaplan, and Pelton turbine contracts, but at materially greater scale and project reach.
• Ossberger: German specialist manufacturer of small hydro turbines (notably Crossflow and Pelton designs up to a few MW) and complete hydropower plant packages. Closely comparable to GUGLER's precision-engineered, lower-MW end of the small-hydro market.
• Canyon Hydro: US-based small hydropower turbine manufacturer (Pelton, Francis, Crossflow, Kaplan) supplying equipment for low-head through high-head installations, primarily in North America. Comparable to GUGLER in end-market niche and project-driven, engineer-to-order business model.
• Litostroj Power Group: Slovenian manufacturer of hydro turbines (Francis, Kaplan, Pelton) and complete electromechanical equipment for small, medium, and large hydropower plants. Targets a similar niche to GUGLER, including turn-key hydropower packages and refurbishment of aging hydro assets in Europe and emerging markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GUGLER Water Turbines