Biden-Harris administration recently unveiled the American Climate Corps, a modern reimagining of the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which aims to tackle the climate crisis. On the same day, the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced a green initiative that aligns with this vision.
The DOE has allocated $45 million to support two sets of wind and water energy projects across the United States. The funds are intended to drive research on large-scale domestic equipment manufacture and American clean energy supply chains. This growing emphasis on domestic sustainable energy has led to a focus on additive manufacturing solutions.
The DOE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) has divided the $45 million budget towards the research and manufacture of 3D printed hydropower technology and the sustainable manufacture of wind turbine equipment using 3D printing. The first project to receive this funding is being conducted by GE Research. It aims to enhance efficiency and reduce waste in hydropower production by developing a suite of tools that includes robotic welding methods and a digital foundry. This project is estimated to reduce the production costs of hydropower machines by 20% and shorten their construction time by four months. The ongoing research also aims to support the metal 3D printing of large components that can be made domestically.
The second set of projects focuses on wind power, in line with the administration’s goal of producing 30 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030. Thirteen different projects involving universities, professional companies, and national laboratories will concentrate on additive manufacturing in the construction of large wind blades, streamlining AM practices for critical wind turbine components, and the digitization, sustainability, and modularization of wind blades and turbine components.
This renewed focus on research and domestic production methods anticipates an increase in demand for wind and water turbine components. It is projected that demand will quintuple in the next decade as the US pursues its goals of clean energy production and energy independence by strengthening its domestic supply chain network.
These research projects demonstrate that 3D printing will play a crucial role in the US’s plans for sustainability while addressing efficiency and accessibility in the energy sector.
What are your thoughts on the DOE’s funding for the domestic development of renewable energy with 3D printing? Share your opinions in the comments section or connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter for the latest 3D printing news, delivered straight to your inbox. You can also watch all our videos on our YouTube channel.
Cover Photo Credits: James St. John via Flickr, CC-BY-2.0
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