ORONO, Maine – The University of Maine will receive more than $ 2.8 million for using a 3D printer to make wind turbine blades, according to Maine Senators.
The grant, from the US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, represents an investment in “cutting-edge research” that will help support our forest industries, create well-paying jobs, and strengthen our clean energy economy. Republican Senator Susan Collins and Independent Senator Angus King said.
The grant can help drive new manufacturing research at UMaine, the senators said. Habib Dagher, executive director of the UMaine Advanced Structures and Composites Center, said the blades can be developed faster and more cost-effectively by combining innovative manufacturing with recyclable materials.
The announcement came as the state partnered with industry to work towards the creation of the first floating offshore wind research park in US history.
UMaine’s 3D printer is the world’s largest polymer 3D printer.