With NOK 127 million on the table, a large part of Norway’s greenhouse gas emissions will be solved from Nord-Odal in the interior. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) marked the launch of the new research center at Mapei. – Concrete has a reputation for being the worst for the climate. And concrete is needed for an incredible amount within all types of construction, from roads to houses and buildings and industry. If you manage to come up with a solution that reduces the emissions from concrete, it really matters in our climate calculation, and also in the world, says Støre. He called the establishment a fantastic win-win-win story. – Against all odds, Mapei is an international company with headquarters in Milan, Italy, and branches in 90 countries. For two years, Mapei has worked locally to establish the prestigious research center in the interior, and not at the head office in Italy. Last week the verdict was handed down. – Research and development is the difference from being a pure production unit to really being a technology developer for the group and a partner for our customers, says managing director of Mapei Nordics and Baltics, Trond Hagerud. Photo: Ann-Kristin Mo / news – When we left there, I could hardly believe it myself. We had been accepted, and we were going to build bigger than we had originally thought. It was fantastic, says Trond Hagerud, managing director of Mapei Nordics and Baltics. The company supplies the chemical products needed in the production of cement and concrete. They have been doing research for many years, but are now ready to take the research to a new level. Through the development of the research centre, they will now look more closely at how the raw materials can be produced with lower CO2 emissions. Both by reducing the amount of limestone that is burned when cement is made, and by looking at solutions to recycle used concrete. Innovation Norway: – Mapei becomes world leader Innovation Norway has entered into the project with NOK 26.4 million. Manager Håkon Haugli does not ignore the fact that several millions may drip into the research centre. – Mapei is very close to researching sustainable concrete solutions. Time is short, the tasks are big, but it means a lot that Norway is leading in this. – They have high expectations for Mapei? – Yes. At the same time, they all have the prerequisites to succeed, so I am quite sure that when we are back here in a few years, they will deliver exactly what they set out to do. – We believe that Norway and Mapei have the opportunity to become world leaders in the production of sustainable concrete. It is a very high expectation which we believe is realistic, says Håkon Haugli, head of Innovation Norway. Photo: Frode Meskau / news And it’s no small matter: the company says they will contribute to a reduction of 450,000 tonnes of CO₂. This corresponds to 7.5 per cent of the imposed emissions cut in the Norwegian mainland industry by 2030. Jonas Holme, head of research at Sintef, tells news that he does not know what Mapei now intends to do. He nevertheless confirms that Mapei is a large and serious player that collaborates with the research environment, also with Sintef, where the theme is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in concrete and cement production. Ready to start in 2025 – 7.5 per cent, is that realistic? – Yes, it is realistic. But it’s a tough job, and we need to expand and have more researchers and instruments to make it happen, answers Trond Hagerud. Because the owners wanted a bigger research center than he had dared to hope for, the company must now go through drawings and plans again. The hope is to start construction in April-May next year, and that the center will be ready at the beginning of 2025. Hagerud estimates that this means that the company will eventually need to employ five to ten new employees within research and development.
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This company in Nord-Odal will reduce CO2 emissions from industry by 7.5 percent – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
