05/Jun/2025

Towards Sustainable Graphene: Environmental and Economic Insights from GIANCE Use Cases

Screening Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) assessment was conducted to compare the environmental and economic impact of the new graphene-based materials with current technologies and materials used in key application areas. The evaluation also identified critical improvements required for the further development of these innovative materials. The environmental impact hotspots identified were: Ecotoxicity (Freshwater organics); Climate change (Fossil emissions); Resource use (Fossil fuels); and Water use, driven by the high energy and water demands of graphene production and the chemical reduction processes used in wastewater treatment. The economic impact hotspots identified were: Material and energy costs, Changes in product lifespan, Operational expenditures (OPEX), Potential increases in costly waste streams. Preliminary results show that graphene production— based on low Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and literature data — offer a reduced environmental footprint compared to current reference materials. Economically, graphene-related materials (GRMs) demonstrate potential for lowering costs through reduction of the use of expensive materials such as carbon fiber (CF) and adoption of more cost-efficient manufacturing processes. These insights will help guide further development towards more sustainable and economically viable graphene solutions.