The 2025 World Exposition in Osaka will exhibit a dome made out of a new form of carbon-capturing concrete with the potential to make a significant impact in cleaning up the construction sector, which currently accounts for around 40 percent of greenhouse emissions globally.
The special concrete hardens by capturing CO2 in the air and will reduce CO2 emissions in its construction phase by 70 percent compared with a structure built with conventional concrete, according to construction firm Kajima Corp.
The construction of the 5.45-meter tall, oval-shaped dome with a width of up to 23 meters comes as the government aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
"We would like to develop even more new technologies by using the expo as a point of departure," said an official of Kajima, the major Japanese general contractor.
The dome is expected to be used as a venue for educating the public on environmental issues during the expo, slated for April 13 to Oct. 13 in 2025 on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay, western Japan.
Kajima plans to begin the construction of the dome in mid-April, aiming for completion in November.
Meanwhile, Britain unveiled earlier this month the design of its self-built pavilion under the theme of "Come Build the Future," becoming the last member among the Group of Seven countries to release its design.
The British pavilion will include exhibits on renewable energy, drug discovery, and museums and contemporary art, said Julia Longbottom, the British ambassador to Japan.
The pavilion will reuse some of the materials utilized in the 2012 London Olympics as well as the 2021 Tokyo Games. They can be relocated and used for other events after the expo, according to the expo organizer.
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