Black Swan Graphene and Nationwide Engineering partner
by CM staff
At the core of the partnership between Black Swan and NERD, is the completion of an equity swap.
(CNW Group/Black Swan Graphene)
TORONTO — Black Swan Graphene Inc., and Nationwide Engineering Research and Development Ltd. (NERD) entered a partnership embedded in a fully integrated supply chain which will include Arup Group Limited (Arup), a multinational engineering consultancy headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with 18,000 experts working across 140 countries.
At the core of the partnership between Black Swan and NERD, is the completion of an equity swap where each company will own approximately five percent of the outstanding shares of the other (equity swap), and the execution of a supply agreement between the two companies (supply agreement) under which NERD will be sourcing its graphene requirements from Black Swan.
Concurrently with the creation of the partnership between Black Swan and NERD, Arup is expected to enter into a partnership with NERD, pursuant to which it is expected to gain ownership of 4.2 per cent of the outstanding shares of NERD. The partnerships between Black Swan and NERD, and between NERD and Arup, are intended to enhance expertise and create an integrated supply chain aimed at accelerating the adoption of graphene-enhanced concrete.
NERD, a spin-out company from Nationwide Engineering Group, has developed a graphene-enhanced admixture for concrete, ConcreteneTM, which can increase the strength of the material in mix designs, allowing for cement reduction and lowering of carbon footprint on construction projects. This is important for the global construction industry, from which cement manufacture currently accounts for approximately 8 per cent of global CO2emissions. Imminent legislative requirements for decarbonisation mean the sector must act rapidly to ensure sustainability.
Concretene is a graphene-enhanced admixture for concrete that has demonstrated the ability to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 30 per cent, driven mainly by a reduction in the volume of concrete required to achieve equivalent performances. The product has been developed in partnership with The University of Manchester’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC).
