Nordic developer NREP plans to build the world’s first net zero warehouse in Sweden with timber, organic insulation and solar power.
Located in Bålsta, 50km north west of Stockholm, the 20,000-sq-m building will achieve 100% CO2 neutrality over its entire lifecycle, including construction, operations and dismantling, without relying on any external off-setting measures.
It will run 100% on solar, heat pump and battery-stored energy, becoming “energy positive” by returning excess energy to the grid.
It will use cross-laminated timber instead of steel for walls, roofs and façade.
A new type of organic insulation will bind more CO2 than it emits during the production process.
Green cement will be used in the foundations that reduce CO2 emissions by 30% compared to a typical warehouse foundation.
It will be designed for disassembly at the end of its life, with components made available for reuse.
The Bålsta facility will be operated by NREP’s logistics brand Logicenters, a developer and operator of modern logistics properties across the Nordics.
Claus Mathisen, NREP’s chief executive, said: “Drawing from the most advanced products available, this project will be a test bed for emerging solutions, creating a whole new, commercially viable paradigm in carbon neutral real estate.
“This project is a great example of how to convert insights into real actions, now.”
Victoria Burrows, director of advancing net zero at the World Green Building Council, said: “The goal of decarbonising the entire built environment is monumental and something that cannot be achieved alone.
“We need strong leadership from companies like NREP who are taking urgent and innovative action to explore what solutions are possible today, to get us closer to a carbon neutral future."
