Saudi Arabia just purchased the largest 3D construction printer in the world

Saudi Arabian construction company Elite for Construction & Development, Co. recently purchased the world’s largest 3D construction printer, the BOD2, from Copenhagen-based COBOD. Elite for Construction & Development made the purchase in response to Saudi Arabia’s need to build 1.5 million houses in the next ten years.

The printer has the capability of printing buildings that are 12 meters wide, 27 meters long, and nine meters high. It can produce three-story buildings of more than 300 sm per floor in one go, and Elite for Construction & Development plans to utilize these capabilities.

See Also: This is the world’s first building completely 3D printed onsite

“We will make this revolutionizing technology available in all of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We will be able to carry out projects with our own crews and based on 3D printable concrete made locally,” said Saad Al Shathri, General Manager of Elite for Construction & Development Co., in a release. “This will bring costs significantly down compared to temporary imported printers using foreign made materials. With the 3D construction printing technology we will be able to do projects almost impossible with conventional technology, and we will build faster and cheaper than before. At the same time we decided to invest in a very large printer, such that the scope of projects we can carry out will be as big as possible.”

The BOD2 3D construction printer will be delivered at the end of May and will be the first 3D printer of its kind in Saudi Arabia.