COBOD International

EUDP

The Danish company COBOD – Construction Of Buildings On Demand – is a world leader in 3D construction printing solutions. COBOD’s 3D printers printed Europe’s first building in 2017.

COBOD is pioneering the automation of construction, including on-site 3D concrete printing (3DCP) with reinforced ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). A key area of innovation has been the development of tall concrete wind turbine towers. Traditional production methods for these structures are both expensive and logistically challenging, particularly as tower height increases. For instance, increasing tower height from 100 to 120 meters can double the production cost. Transporting large tower sections also poses logistical challenges, especially for base diameters exceeding 4.5 meters — often requiring on-site casting, which is slow and costly.

To address these challenges, COBOD has been working to prove that large-scale 3D printing can enable the on-site production of taller and more cost-efficient wind turbine towers.

1st Mile’s work with COBOD

1st Mile has played a central role in securing EUDP funding for two COBOD’s projects:

In 2019, COBOD received its first EUDP grant to explore the feasibility of 3D printing onshore wind turbine towers. The project aimed to build a 10-meter-tall pilot tower, demonstrating the economic and technical viability of using UHPC with reinforcement for wind structures. This proof-of-concept included obtaining a principle approval from a third-party verifier.

Building on this success, in March 2023, COBOD submitted the project “Extra-large 3D printed wind turbine towers produced on site on demand” for EUDP funding. The project, written by 1st Mile, secured a DKK 30.50 million grant. It brings together leading partners including Holcim Innovation Center, Rambøll, DTU Construct & Wind, and Per Aarsleff A/S, and aims to demonstrate that wind turbine towers of 140–200 meters and a base diameter of up to 20 meters can be printed directly on-site — something not feasible with existing technologies.