First-Ever 3D-Printed Dam: an Energy-Generating Game Changer

The world’s first 3D printed dam is expected to generate an estimated five billion kilowatt-hours of energy, providing over 50 million people with electricity in the Henan Province of China. 

The impressive dam is to be constructed entirely by artificial intelligence (AI) in only two years. With AI-powered robots, bulldozers, trucks, excavators, pavers, and more, scientists involved in the project are calling it the “world’s largest 3D printer [to date].” 

Though the largest to date, the hydroelectric dam is certainly not the first impressive thing the world has seen in the 3D printing world. In recent years, the sector has grown significantly with projects such as eco-friendly sewage infrastructures and recyclable footbridges already in place. What’s more, commercial buildings, affordable home productions, and even a 3D-printed moon infrastructure are all ideas in the works. 

As for China’s Yangku Hydropower Plant, it will stand 180-meters high and cross over the Yellow River. Construction of the dam is expected to be complete in 2024, but rest assured, this mighty dam is likely only the beginning of many eco-friendly 3D printing projects to come.