China Building Materials Academy & Saudi Aramco Partner to Develop Non-Metals Construction Material

Saudi Aramco and the China Building Materials Academy have announced the launch of NEXCEL, a Non-Metallic Excellence and Innovation Center, to develop alternative building materials.

The center was reportedly launched at an event in Beijing, according to ​​the Saudi Press Agency. The aim of NEXCEL, according to Ahmad A. al-Sa’adi, a senior vice president of technical services at Aramco, is to develop petroleum-based materials in lieu of metals.

“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,” said al-Sa’adi.

“We are excited to be part of this important initiative with China Building Materials Academy, to jointly advance the use of non-metallics in building and construction in China,” the company’s vice president added.

Zhan Yanjing, a vice president with the China National Building Material Group (CNBM), believes the partnership is an “important measure to build green, low-carbon solutions.”

State-owned Saudi Aramco is one of the largest companies in the world. It produces the most barrels of crude oil daily of any petrochemical company and, contained within the boundaries of Saudi Arabia, has the second-largest proven crude oil reserves in the world. The kingdom is estimated to be the single largest contributor of greenhouse gasses since 1965.

Construction accounted for nearly a quarter of China’s GDP in 2020 and remains a vital sector of the nation‘s economy.