A consortium of entities has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to form the “NovusCrete” Consortium, which will focus on advancing sustainable technologies in concrete production. The group includes the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC), NEOM (Design and Construction Sector), SIKA, and ClimateCrete. The consortium’s objective is to reduce the carbon footprint of the construction sector by promoting innovative technologies and environmentally efficient materials.
The initiative targets several goals, including reducing reliance on traditional materials, increasing the use of recycled construction and demolition waste, and utilizing local resources such as seawater and fine sand. It also plans to explore Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) rebars and other alternatives to traditional reinforcement materials. This focus aims to increase sustainability, lower environmental impacts, and extend the lifespan of infrastructure. The consortium will work on developing standards and codes for the use of seawater in concrete, with support from the American Concrete Institute (ACI). ACI’s Committee 243 – Seawater Concrete will provide guidance for the initiative by preparing reports and guidelines on the subject.
In addition to the NovusCrete project, Saudi Arabia has several other renewable energy and sustainability efforts. These include the Sakaka Solar Project, which has an installed capacity of 300 megawatts. Located in the Al Jouf region, the Sakaka Solar Project uses over 1 million solar photovoltaic (PV) panels across a six-square-kilometer area to generate electricity. The Dumat Al-Jandal Wind Farm, also in the Al Jouf region, is the first utility-scale wind energy project in Saudi Arabia and the largest in the Middle East. It has an installed capacity of 400 megawatts and features 99 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 4.2 megawatts.
These projects highlight Saudi Arabia’s efforts to incorporate renewable energy and sustainability into its development goals, focusing on reducing environmental harm while supporting economic growth.
