Large-Format Additive Manufacturing for Marine Renewable Energy: A Strategic R&I Agenda and Roadmap

Abstract

The marine and offshore industry is under unprecedented pressure to deliver efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective solutions for Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) systems, particularly Wave Energy Converters (WECs) and Tidal Energy Devices (TEDs). Traditional manufacturing methods (e.g., manual Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) layups, steel welding) are hindered by high labour costs, lengthy lead times, and poor environmental footprints. Large-Format Additive Manufacturing (LFAM) presents a transformative, “fourth wave” paradigm for marine manufacturing, enabling tool-less, scalable, and circular production. This document constitutes Deliverable D2.1 of the WEC-Pro project. It establishes a comprehensive Research & Innovation (R&I) agenda. By translating the latest academic and industrial state-of-the-art into an actionable roadmap, this agenda identifies critical industry challenges—ranging from extreme hydrodynamic loading and material fatigue to surface roughness penalties and certification hurdles. It outlines a validated 7-step manufacturing workflow, details critical techno-economic metrics for cost prediction, and assigns specific required strategies to overcome these barriers. The agenda culminates in a collaborative roadmap for standardising LFAM to accelerate its commercialisation in safety-critical marine environments.