Nonmetallic Excellence and Innovation Center launch extends advanced materials use in China

Saudi Aramco (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia) and the China Building Materials Academy (CBMA, Beijing) have announced the launch of NEXCEL, a new Nonmetallic Excellence and Innovation Center to further advance the use of nonmetallic materials in the building and construction sector. The center was launched at an event in Beijing, where the center will be located. NEXCEL will leverage CBMA’s expertise and resources to promote the development and application of nonmetallic technologies offering improved lifecycle cost, efficiency and environmental advantages over metal alternatives.

The new center of excellence joins the Aramco-launched NIC: Nonmetallic Innovation Centre at The Welding Institute (TWI) in Cambridge, U.K.; and, NEx: A Center of Excellence for Nonmetallic Building Materials at the American Concrete Institute (ACI, Farmington Hills, Mich., U.S.) headquartered in Michigan, U.S.

“We are excited to be part of this important initiative with the China Building Materials Academy, to jointly advance the use of nonmetallics in building and construction in China,” says Ahmad A. Al-Sa’adi, senior VP of Technical Services at Aramco. “At Aramco, we have been developing and deploying nonmetallic solutions within our own operations for more than 20 years as they offer superior lifecycle cost, efficiency and environmental advantages over their metal alternatives. Given the advantages of nonmetallics, we believe that NEXCEL will catalyze a wide range of new opportunities.”

For more than two decades, Aramco has been leveraging its technology leadership to develop and adopt nonmetallic solutions in its oil and gas operations (see “The compelling argument for expanded use of carbon fiber composites”) and is reported to be driving the development of a suite of nonmetallic solutions through global collaborations with prominent academic institutions, research and technology organizations, manufacturers and industry leaders such as the CBMA.

NEXCEL will promote the development and application of nonmetallic technologies by exploring opportunities for joint projects in research and development (R&D), standards development and adoption, professional development and certifications, advocacy and international outreach. The Center will also create a global collaboration platform to expand and accelerate the use of nonmetallic materials to improve sustainability, contribute to a lower carbon footprint and enhance the durability and longevity of structures.

As a leading R&D center, CBMA has a range of technical resources, including eight professional Scientific Research Institutes, seven state and industrial key laboratories and 23 national standardization technical committees. CBMA has been recognized as the “Base for International Sci&Tech Cooperation” by the Chinese government and has conducted extensive co-operation with more than 100 countries.

In addition, CBMA has established strategic partnerships with many international academic institutions, certification bodies and enterprises, and has launched a variety of similar initiatives with international organizations, such as the UNIDO International Center for Materials Technology Promotion, the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP), the Cement Task Force and the APP Centre of Excellence, as well as the Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI) China Office, and these initiatives, says CBMA, have made great contributions to the low-carbon and sustainable development of the building materials sector globally.