Brisbane-based Turquoise Group has commenced commercial bulk sales of graphene powder, making a significant milestone in Australian advanced materials manufacturing and contributing to industrial decarbonisation.
Developed in Darra, Brisbane, Turquoise Group’s proprietary plasma technology process produces bulk volumes of high-quality, multi-layer graphene and clean hydrogen from methane gas. The technology is highly energy efficient, consumes no water and has no direct CO and CO2 emissions, offering a ‘clean and green’ solution for decarbonisation of industries such as energy storage and construction.
The technology’s modular design allows for rapid deployment and expansion, with Turquoise Group currently selling competitively priced graphene powder to markets including Australia, Europe, the United States and Asia.
The company aims to develop Australia’s first commercial graphene manufacturing hub located in Brisbane, with plans to expand after launching a planned capital raising.
Co-founders, Chairman Ron Prefontaine, CEO Sam Taubert and COO Andrew Thompson have a track record of building multibillion-dollar companies in the energy sector and are now leveraging their international experience to build Australia’s next success story.
The company has been backed by the federal government’s “Industry Growth Program,” having hosted visits by then federal Industry Minister, the Hon. Ed Husic MP and the Hon. Milton Dick MP, Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Turquoise Group CEO Sam Taubert said the launch of commercial sales was an exciting milestone in Turquoise’s development as a new, Australian innovation leader.
“The launch of commercial sales has put Turquoise and Australia at the forefront of the rapidly growing global graphene sector, with applications in protective coatings, low-emission concretes and mortars, advanced battery materials, composites and more,” Mr Taubert said.
“These innovations demonstrate the potential of our made-in-Australia technology to drive sustainability and performance enhancements across a range of industries, contributing to global decarbonisation.”
Australia lags the OECD average in research and development (R&D) spending, which was estimated at 1.68% of GDP in fiscal 2022, below the OECD average of 2.7%. In 2024, the nation ranked 23rd out of 133 countries ranked by the Global Innovation Index, with such data pointing to the need for more domestic R&D spending to drive productivity and future economic growth.
The global graphene market is projected growing from US$1.66 billion in 2025 to US$9.28 billion by 2030, with the Asia Pacific listed as the biggest and fastest growing market, according to Mordor Intelligence.
“Global adoption of this technology has been hampered up until now by high production costs. However, our proprietary technology can overcome this constraint with its ability to produce hundreds of kilograms a day at low operating costs, unlocking graphene’s potential as a substitute feedstock for a wide range of next-generation products,” Mr Taubert said.
“Based on the initial strong interest that we have received from our planned capital raising, we aim to have our first, one-module commercial pilot project online by the end of 2027, with the potential for further expansion into a substantial new Australian-owned export industry.”