Edmiston partners with British climate tech firm

Yacht broker Edmiston has launched a “first-of-its-kind” collaboration with British climate tech business Levidian Nanosystems.

Levidian has developed technology that ‘cracks’ methane into hydrogen and carbon, locking the carbon into ‘green’ graphene. The firm says it will use its technology to support Edmiston’s journey towards achieving net-zero and aid the development of decarbonisation within the yacht sector.

At just one atom thick, graphene is the thinnest material known to man, and yet incredibly strong – about 200 times stronger than steel. It is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity and can reduce friction.

The partnership between Edmiston and Levidian Nanosystems is built on the belief that graphene could deliver significant benefits to battery technology, paints and coatings, and desalination systems within the yachting industry.

Levidian’s technology, known as Loop, is said to be able to help businesses in the yachting supply chain to decarbonise. Upon installing Loop, a shipyard using natural gas for industrial heat and power could reduce its CO2 emissions by up to 40 per cent, according to Levidian, using a cleaner hydrogen-rich blend created on site. The hydrogen can also be separated for use as a green fuel.

“Graphene will have a number of marine applications and it has the potential to be an important part of decarbonising the maritime sector,” says John Hartley, Levidian’s chief executive. “Our Loop technology not only offers a green route to producing graphene, but it also offers the ability to rapidly decarbonise some of the heavy industries that are behind the yachts we see today.”

Jamie Edmiston, chief executive of Edmiston, adds: “When I was first introduced to Levidian in 2020, I was hugely impressed with the technology and the team behind it. There are clear applications for Levidian’s technology in the maritime sector, and we look forward to working with Levidian as Edmiston works forward towards net zero.”