GE Renewable Energy plans to use the world’s largest 3D printer of its type to produce moulds for its Haliade-X offshore wind turbines, shaving months off production times for the giant components and enabling greener local manufacturing.

The US-owned OEM has teamed up with Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology, and 3D printer specialist Voxeljet for the “game changing” initiative that aims to print moulds for castings up to 9.5