FP McCann, Morgan Sindall join UK trials of graphene-enhanced cement
First Graphene Ltd has announced a major series of UK trials using graphene-enhanced cement, produced in partnership with Breedon Group PLC at its Hope Cement Works in Derbyshire. The programme aims to demonstrate the carbon-saving and performance benefits of the company’s PureGRAPH-enhanced cement, a low-carbon binder incorporating graphene nanoplatelets.
Breedon will manufacture around 600 tonnes of cement, containing three tonnes of PureGRAPH CEM, for distribution to a range of industry and academic partners. The trials are expected to begin in December 2025.
Precast specialist FP McCann will use 40 to 60 tonnes of the new cement to produce thousands of graphene-enhanced concrete roof tiles at its Cadeby plant in Leicestershire. The tiles will undergo performance and durability testing at FP McCann’s Knockloughrim R&D facility in Northern Ireland over a five-month period.
The project forms part of a UK Government-funded “Resource Efficient Construction Impacts” initiative, supported by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Defra, which provides funding to test low-carbon building materials.
Replacing traditional CEM I with graphene-enhanced cement could reduce CO₂ emissions by around 16%, without compromising strength or production efficiency.
Morgan Sindall’s infrastructure division will use the cement in railway ground-slab construction in London, supplied by Capital Concrete. The company previously tested graphene-modified concrete in a motorway truck-wash bay and will now assess material performance in live site conditions, including durability and strength.
Breedon will also construct a concrete demonstration slab integrating EV charging infrastructure at Hope Cement Works, further supporting its decarbonisation targets.
“This is a dynamic approach to trialling graphene-enhanced construction material,” said Michael Bell, managing director and CEO of First Graphene. “We’re proud to work alongside leading UK partners including Breedon, Morgan Sindall and FP McCann to demonstrate the real-world potential of low-carbon graphene cement.”
First Graphene said the project reflects growing confidence in graphene’s role in cutting embodied carbon across cement and concrete production. The company estimates that the cement and concrete sector offers the highest-volume potential for graphene integration, enabling lower-carbon, higher-performance products.
Subscribe to the weekly newsletter
