Partners with Gulf Cryo to source graphene and its use in many enhanced products for the United Arab Emirates and other regions.

Expanding further into the Middle East, HydroGraph Clean Power Inc. has forged a strategic alliance with Gulf Cryo LLC, marking another step toward introducing pristine graphene solutions to the region.

Following up on a partnership with Khalifa University of Science and Technology announced in April, the Canada-based graphene company is looking at growth in the Middle East-Africa (MEA) region.

HydroGraph Clean Power Inc.

The Hyperion System utilizes HydroGraph's patented detonation process to create graphene from an explosive process developed at Kansas State University and licensed exclusively to HydroGraph.

Under the terms of a new memorandum of understanding, HydroGraph and Gulf Cryo will work together to assess local markets to identify the placement and operation of a possible commercial-scale installation of its HydroGraph Hyperion graphene production system.

The partnership will cover key markets in the region, among them the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, and Egypt, and it will focus on products such as lubricants, resins, bottling and concrete, with the planning and market assessment phases expected to last three to five months.

HydroGraph will contribute technical, operational and application expertise, while Gulf Cryo will bring the essential business development and operating resources.

"We made an initial investment in HydroGraph in November 2023 and now are looking forward to extending the relationship to leverage the enormous investment focus in the region on innovative and sustainable technologies such as graphene," said Amer Huneidi, executive chairman and CEO of Gulf Cryo. "Given that HydroGraph's graphene uses oxygen and acetylene as raw materials, and there is a broad range of potential graphene applications in this region, this is a unique opportunity to extend our product line into new areas, creating value for our customers and shareholders, while we play our role in supporting the sustainability goals."

The initial planning and market assessment phases will focus on:

• Composites, plastics and resins (including bottling): HydroGraph's graphene has been shown to increase the yield strength by over 18% and increase breakage strength by over 100%. This will result in bottles using 20% less plastic, consuming 20% less energy to produce and substantially reducing distribution costs. These are all valuable features for the region's robust petrochemical industry and growing use of composites, plastics, and resins.

• Lubricants: HydroGraph's engineered graphene mixed in with lubricants, both grease and oils, has been shown to decrease the coefficient of friction by 70% (lowers resistance between moving parts), reduce wear by 80%, and extend the life of the lubricant by over 24 times. The region's lubricant market will benefit from longer product life (less oil changes, less machinery downtime) with less wearing of mechanical components.

• Cement and concrete: Third-party tests confirm that HydroGraph's graphene improves compressive strength by over 24%. This is a major benefit for the region, which is experiencing significant infrastructure growth. HydroGraph's graphene will also reduce the amount of aggregate material and water required in concrete and shorten the curing period for both cement and concrete.

"We are excited to begin this partnership with Gulf Cryo as we see several mutually beneficial opportunities," said HydroGraph President and Interim CEO Kjirstin Breure. "In addition to being a leading provider of acetylene to the Middle East and offering the required feedstock to HydroGraph's high-purity graphene production process, Gulf Cryo has strong operational capabilities and shares many of the same target customers as us. Importantly, they have an established operating footprint within the region with steadfast relationships."