Mapei, new research centre in Norway for sustainable concrete

Cement and concrete with low emissions. This is the objective entrusted to the new research centre that Mapei has opened in Norway, the result of an 11 million euro investment.

For around one fifth of the total investment, the world's leading manufacturer of construction chemicals also benefits from a contribution from Innovation Norway, the Norwegian government's body responsible for innovation and sustainable business development in the country

The project to expand the plant of Mapei's Norwegian subsidiary, which was launched at the end of 2024 in the presence of Prime Minister Johas Gahr Støre," reads the group's press release, "represents an important step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cement, concrete and mortar. The goal is to contribute to the reduction of 450,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in Norway, the equivalent of 7.5 per cent of the emission reduction required of mainland Norway by 2030.

"Concrete," says Mapei CEO Marco Squinzi, "is an essential material in construction, with an annual consumption of around 30 billion tonnes globally, second only to water, and contributes 8% of total CO₂ emissions. In order to reduce this impact while maintaining the quality and durability of the product, Mapei will be working in the new laboratory in Sagstua, in coordination with the corporate laboratory in Milan, on three innovative projects: the production of cement with low CO2 emissions, the production of concrete with low CO2 emissions and the increase of its recycling in the industrial process, to the benefit of the whole sector and the environment. Thanks to our global presence, we will also be able to bring these technologies to other markets, increasing the effectiveness of their impact'.

"To face this challenge," adds Veronica Squinzi, CEO of Mapei, "close cooperation between the public and private sectors is also necessary. Awareness-raising and education of the entire supply chain, right up to the end consumer, is essential. This project, realised thanks to the cooperation between Mapei Norway and the local institutions, is the result of almost thirty years of activities and relations that have also led to the realisation of important infrastructural projects such as the Follobanen, the long railway tunnel connecting Oslo to Ski and the Bergen airport, or buildings for culture and scientific research such as the Oslo Opera House and the Global Seed Vault, the famous 'world seed vault' located in the Svalbard archipelago, approximately 1,300 km from the North Pole. Challenging and innovative projects that have made both this country and our company grow in the right direction'.