Dana Gas starts first industrial production of graphene in Sharjah just 4 months after signing pact

Dana Gas PJSC (“Dana Gas”), the Middle East’s largest regional private sector natural gas company, and Levidian, a British advanced materials company, announce the successful commissioning of the first LOOP 20 unit at the Sharjah Graphene Park, marking the start of graphene production in the Emirate. 

The unit is now fully operational, with annual production capacity of more than one tonne of high-quality graphene. With production now underway, the partners are engaging with several prospective customers across the UAE and wider GCC regarding long-term graphene offtake agreements. Several large-scale prospective local customers are currently undertaking product trials using Levidian 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, a UAE-based advanced materials manufacturing and commercialisation initiative. Moving from agreement to production in just four months demonstrates the pace of execution and local support for advanced manufacturing in Sharjah. 

This initial LOOP 20 phase of the project represents a modest investment of less than $1 million, intended to establish commercial production in Sharjah and support the development of regional demand.

Dana Gas and Levidian are progressing the next phase of the project, with additional LOOP 60 and LOOP 100 units currently under construction in the UK. Once commissioned, these units are expected to increase the partners’ graphene production capacity to more than 10 tonnes per year before the end of 2026 and taking total capital investment to approximately $2.5 million. 

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 also offers potential for further expansion, with total investment potentially reaching approximately $50 million as production scales. Any further capital deployment would be undertaken on a disciplined basis, supported by long-term customer offtake commitments and appropriate investment return thresholds.

Levidian’s patented LOOP technology uses microwave plasma to crack methane, producing hydrogen and solid carbon in the form of high-quality graphene. This creates higher-value materials from existing natural gas streams, opening new commercial opportunities for gas that might otherwise be underutilised while supporting emissions-reduction efforts.

Graphene is a high-value, versatile form of carbon, valued for its strength, light weight and conductivity, with applications ranging from batteries and tyres to concrete, coatings and polymer products.

Together, the partners aim to establish a reliable regional supply of high-quality graphene and support its integration into key sectors including construction, polymers, coatings and energy. 

“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.”