Cement is responsible for about 8% of the world’s carbon emissions, more than the aviation industry. With climate change in focus, more and more businesses are undertaking ambitious carbon emission goals, allowing sustainable-first companies to broaden their client base.

One such company is the graphene products supplier First Graphene (ASX: FGR). The Company has signed a Joint Development and Commercialisation agreement with the UK’s largest cement manufacturer, Breedon Group, at the latter’s Hope Cement Works in the Peak District National Park.

The agreement will facilitate First Graphene’s development of a range of graphene-enhanced solutions to reduce the clinker factor (or usage of the primary element) of Breedon’s cement and, as a result, reduce its carbon emissions footprint.

FGR and Breedon are teaming up for more trials to improve how they use PureGRAPH (a type of graphene powder by First Graphene) in products at Hope Cement Works. The first set of trials, finished in September 2023, used about 600 kilograms of PureGRAPH to make several hundred tons of CEM II cement.

First Graphene Managing Director and CEO, Michael Bell, said, “First Graphene is very excited about formalising our partnership with Breedon and ramping up our commercialisation journey in the cement and concrete sector. Through our Agreement, First Graphene intends to help Breedon reach its target as well as improve market penetration for graphene-enhanced cement and concrete products, which can drastically reduce carbon emissions produced by the sector.”

Breedon produces over two million tonnes of cement and nearly three million cubic meters of ready-mixed concrete yearly. So, it is integrating CEM II into concrete to meet carbon reduction goals, aiming to cut emissions by 30% by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050, aligned with the Global Cement and Concrete Association’s (GCCA) targets for the industry.

Lower amounts of carbon-intensive clinker are used in the production of CEM II, delivering a 15% reduction in carbon emissions compared to its previous iterations.

Managing Director, Breedon Group (Cement), Jude Lagan, said, “In order to achieve our targets by 2050, our industry needs to constantly innovate and adapt. We are looking forward to undergoing further trials to understand how we can optimise the use of graphene in our processes and continue to develop products that have significant environmental benefits.”

Initial trials showed up to a 10% increase in early-stage compressive strength using graphene-enhanced cement and concrete. So, as part of the agreement, Breedon is offering FGR access to its Hope Cement Works and expertise to develop graphene dosing methods for low-emission cement products.

Under the initial two-year agreement, FGR will conduct research and provide specialist advice and technical support on graphene and graphene-based formulations. The Company will also assist in preparing graphene for cement additives and help design methods for large-scale production of graphene-enhanced cement.

If the R&D delivers commercial opportunities, First Graphene retains the right to own the intellectual property for any product delivered to the open market. 

Given Breedon’s production capacity and the rising demand for concrete (projected to grow at a 5% CAGR from 2022 to 2029, totalling four billion tonnes annually), there is significant room for First Graphene’s PureGRAPH product range to expand its market presence.