GE to use 3D printing to build the world’s biggest and most powerful wind turbines
The size of wind turbines are limited by the width of the roads they're transported on, but now GE is paving the way for wind turbines that are truly massive.
Key takeaways
- Courtesy: GE The three partners are set to undertake a collaboration that will span several years in order to develop this innovative solution, GE explained in a press release.
- Not only will the 3D printing technique massively increase renewable energy production, it will also lower the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) and lower construction costs.
- The first prototype, a 10-meter high tower pedestal, has already been successfully printed.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2020) 'GE to use 3D printing to build the world’s biggest and most powerful wind turbines', 311 Institute, 28 June. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/ge-to-use-3d-printing-to-build-the-worlds-biggest-and-most-powerful-wind-turbines/ (Accessed: 8 October 2026).
Renewable energy installations are on a tear globally with new mega installations popping up all the time and record after record tumbling, with now more than 1 Trillion watts of installed renewable energy generation in place around the world and much more coming online. Some of those mega installations though are wind turbine installations, and unlike solar farms that can be assembled on site and are relatively easy to build wind turbine towers, which themselves have broken size records recently, are usually limited to a height of under 100 meters. This is because they are typically built in steel or precast concrete, heavy materials that have to be transported by road to the turbine's construction site, and needless to say when it comes to the amount of electricity they can generate size matters.
Now, a collaboration between GE Renewable Energy, COBOD and LafargeHolcim, announced last week, will seem them co-develop a method for on-site building of optimized 3D printed concrete bases, that will be able to harness more of the winds energy by reaching record heights up to 200 meters.
Courtesy: GE
The three partners are set to undertake a collaboration that will span several years in order to develop this innovative solution, GE explained in a press release.
Traditionally, wind turbines are built in steel or precast concrete. This limits them to a height of 100 meters because the width of the base cannot exceed the 4.5-meter diameter that allows it to be transported by road, without prohibitive additional logistics costs.
The new method by the three-company partnership allows for the printing of a variable height base directly on-site with 3D-printed concrete technology. This is a neat method for working around the problem, that should allow the construction of towers up to 150 to 200 meters tall.
Not only will the 3D printing technique massively increase renewable energy production, it will also lower the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) and lower construction costs.
Ultimately, the three organizations will produce a wind turbine prototype with a printed pedestal and a production-ready printer and materials range to scale up production.
GE Renewable Energy will provide expertise related to the design and manufacture of the turbine going forward, COBOD will bring its expertise robotics automation and 3D printing and LafargeHolcim is developing the specially-made concrete material used for the turbine.
"With our ground breaking 3D printing technology combined with the competence and resources of our partners, we are convinced that this disruptive move within the wind turbines industry will help drive lower costs and faster execution times, to benefit customers and lower the CO2 footprint from the production of energy," Henrik Lund-Nielsen, founder of COBOD International A/S, explained in the press release.
The first prototype, a 10-meter high tower pedestal, has already been successfully printed. It was printed back in October 2019 in Copenhagen and was built as part of the three companies' effort to generate more renewable energy per turbine.
What this means for your organisation
Road width no longer caps height.
Tower bases cannot exceed 4.5 metres across if they travel by road. Printing on site removes that limit and allows much taller towers. Height means stronger winds and more electricity per turbine.
Cost per unit of energy falls.
The partners expect lower construction costs and a lower levelised cost of energy. Cheaper wind power changes the maths for every buyer. Energy purchasers should revisit long-term contract assumptions.
Construction skills move on site.
Printing shifts work from factories and hauliers to the build site itself. That changes logistics, labour and supplier relationships. Construction firms should build printing capability now.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- How would taller turbines change the economics of our wind projects?
- Could on-site printing cut transport costs in our own projects?
- Are our construction partners investing in printing capability?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
The size of wind turbines are limited by the width of the roads they're transported on, but now GE is paving the way for wind turbines that are truly massive.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- GE Renewable Energy ge.com
- COBOD cobod.com
- LafargeHolcim lafargeholcim.com
- Ge renewable energy cobod and lafargeholcim co develop 3D printed concrete bases wind turbines ge.com
- Your future home will probably be 3d printed how 3d printing is changing the construction industry interestingengineering.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 28 June 2020. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2020). GE to use 3D printing to build the world’s biggest and most powerful wind turbines. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/ge-to-use-3d-printing-to-build-the-worlds-biggest-and-most-powerful-wind-turbines/
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