Dana Gas and British advanced materials company Levidian have commissioned the first LOOP 20 unit at the Sharjah Graphene Park, marking the start of commercial graphene production in the UAE emirate.

The unit is now operational with an annual capacity of more than one tonne of high-quality graphene. The partners are engaging prospective customers across the UAE and wider GCC on long-term offtake agreements, with several major local companies already conducting product trials using Levidian’s graphene.

The commissioning comes just four months after Dana Gas and Levidian signed a Memorandum of Understanding at Make it in the Emirates in May to develop the Sharjah Graphene Park as an advanced materials manufacturing and commercialisation hub.

The rapid move from agreement to production highlights the partners’ focus on accelerating advanced manufacturing in Sharjah.

The initial LOOP 20 phase represents an investment of less than $1 million and is intended to establish commercial production while supporting the development of regional demand.

The partners are now advancing the next phase, with additional LOOP 60 and LOOP 100 units under construction in the UK.

Once commissioned, the additional units are expected to increase total graphene production capacity to more than 10 tonnes per year before the end of 2026.

 Total capital investment is expected to reach approximately $2.5 million at that stage.

Richard Hall, CEO of Dana Gas, said: “The successful commissioning of our first graphene production unit at the Sharjah Graphene Park, just four months after signing our MoU with Levidian, further demonstrates Dana Gas’ track record of delivering projects on time. It also reflects our commitment to creating additional value from natural gas while supporting industrial innovation in the UAE. With production underway, further capacity under construction and encouraging engagement from prospective customers, we now have a platform to scale the opportunity in line with commercial demand. We believe this disciplined approach has the potential to create long-term value for Dana Gas and its shareholders.”

Alex Holden, CEO of Levidian, said: “The commissioning of LOOP 20 marks an important step in establishing graphene production in the UAE. Moving from our initial agreement to production in just three months demonstrates what can be achieved with a strong industrial partner such as Dana Gas. With further LOOP capacity already under construction, our focus now is on supporting the development of graphene applications and long-term customer relationships across the UAE and wider GCC.”

The project could eventually attract total investment of approximately $50 million as production expands. The companies said any additional capital spending would depend on long-term customer commitments and investment return thresholds.

Levidian’s patented LOOP technology uses microwave plasma to convert methane into hydrogen and solid carbon in the form of graphene.

The process is designed to create higher-value materials from existing natural gas streams while supporting emissions-reduction efforts.

Graphene is valued for its strength, light weight and electrical conductivity, with potential applications in batteries, tyres, concrete, coatings and polymers.

Dana Gas and Levidian aim to establish a regional supply chain serving industries including construction, energy and advanced materials.

“With several large-scale prospective customers already trialling our graphene in the region, we are seeing encouraging momentum as we move from production into wider commercial adoption. Sharjah Graphene Park gives us the platform to supply those customers locally and, alongside Dana Gas, to scale production as demand grows.” -TradeArabia News Service