Michael Bell, First Graphene, examines how graphene enhanced cement is enabling step-change carbon reductions while improving performance in housing and infrastructure applications.
It is a shocking statistic for one of the world’s largest industries: cement and concrete production generates around 8% of global carbon emissions. It might not seem like a huge figure, but it is more than the entire aviation industry at 2.5% and only marginally behind global agriculture at 12%.
The harsh reality is that far more needs to be done to reduce the carbon footprint of a vital sector that delivers infrastructure essential to industries and communities around the world.
From housing and hospitals to roads and railways, cement and concrete underpin global economies and development. While there has been a concerted effort to curb emissions, progress has largely been incremental rather than transformative. The Global Cement and Concrete Association’s most recent sustainability roadmap highlights a 25% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions per t of cementitious material since 1990. This is a positive achievement, but it masks a difficult truth. Total global cement demand continues to rise rapidly, particularly in developing economies, meaning absolute emissions remain stubbornly high. With a collective global goal of achieving net zero by 2050, the industry must now embrace technologies that offer genuine step-change improvement, rather than incremental gains. This is where graphene has started to play a significant role in improving the sustainability of cement and concrete applications.
A new blueprint for sustainable cement
Discovered little more than 20 years ago, graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. Despite being just one atom thick, it is the lightest, thinnest, and strongest material known to exist. Its tensile strength exceeds that of steel, it conducts heat and electricity efficiently, and it can dramatically improve material performance, even when used in tiny quantities.
Work conducted by many academic institutions and industrial partners over the past two decades has highlighted its potential to reduce carbon intensity in construction materials.
A first mover in this space, Australian company First Graphene has collaborated with one of the UK’s largest cement producers Breedon Group to develop and refine the application of graphene in cement, with the goal of reducing emissions generated during the production process without compromising – and in fact improving – performance. This collaboration has delivered tangible results. Addition of First Graphene's PureGRAPH® product has contributed to reducing carbon emissions in the cement manufacturing process by up to 16%.
The sustainability benefit is primarily driven by a reduction in the amount of carbon-intensive clinker required, as graphene partially replaces this material without compromising performance. Crucially, from a commercial perspective, cement producers do not need to alter their production processes to introduce graphene into the mix. This ensures process consistency, avoids downtime and capital expenditure, and removes a major barrier to adoption. Beyond sustainability, performance gains have been equally impressive. Compressive strength improvements of up to 35% have been recorded through extensive trials with academic partners.
In a highways project, graphene-enhanced cement was produced at commercial scale and deployed under real-world conditions in the construction of a concrete vehicle wash bay, providing invaluable validation for future applications.
From theory to reality
These developments are no longer limited to laboratories or small trials. Recently, more than 600 t of graphene-enhanced cement were produced in a single day at Breedon. The material is being used in real-world applications, including railway platforms, concrete roof tiles, and an electric vehicle charging station.
In addition, a new £100 000 project has been launched with FP McCann, the UK’s largest precast concrete manufacturer and supplier. The project is funded by Innovate UK through its ‘Contracts for Innovation: Resource Efficient Construction Impacts’ award (DESNZ & Defra) and aims to speed up the adoption of graphene-enhanced roof tiles for low-carbon housing. The five-month programme supports the UK Government’s dual objectives of cutting construction-related emissions and delivering more than one million affordable, sustainable new homes by 2029.
First Graphene will supply up to 40 t of Breedon-produced graphene-enhanced cement to help FP McCann manufacture approximately 12 000 roof tiles.
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