First Graphene (ASX: FGR) receive NICNAS approval

Highlights

• Correspondence received from the Department of Health, National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) advises our submission has been jointly reviewed by NICNAS and the Department of the Environment and Energy.
• The Public Report prepared by NICNAS has been provided to FGR and we have advised our acceptance of the report.
• The Department of the Environment and Energy are required to reply advising they are satisfied with the Public Report and NICNAS will then issue the certificate enabling FGR to commence manufacturing and sale.
• FGR is placed in the unique position of being the only company with regulatory approval to manufacture and sell
  graphene products in Australia.
• NICNAS approval augments the Company’s existing REACH registration for the UK and Europe.

As announced in February 2019, FGR had made an application to have graphene notified and assessed under The National
Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) for listing on the Australian Inventory of Chemical
Substances (AICS) for its PureGRAPH™ graphene products.

On 28th May 2019, the Company was advised by the Department of Health (NICNAS) that its assessment is complete, and
approval will be granted to produce and sell PureGRAPH™ products in Australia from our existing production facility which
has a capacity of up to 100 tpa.

This approval places FGR in the unique position of being the only entity with regulatory approval to manufacture and sell graphene powders in Australia. When combined with the previously granted REACH registration FGR is the only entity in the world with regulatory approval for the sale of up to 10 tonnes per annum of graphene powders in the UK and Europe and to sell out our capacity of graphene powders in Australia.

It is necessary for all producers, or potential producers and importers of graphene to complete the NICNAS application to notify the chemical/graphene. This involved providing items such as chemical characterisation, toxicology and environmental information, all of which required considerable research. An advantage of being a first mover is that once the new chemical is approved, it is kept confidential (not on the public or confidential inventory lists) for the first 5 years – this is called the ‘non-listing period’ and means First Graphene can import or manufacture the new chemical under this registration.

Craig McGuckin, Managing Director said “This was a critical approval in the continued growth of our graphene materials business in Australia. In conjunction with FGR’s recent REACH registration, it demonstrates our position as the leading ethical supplier of tonnage quantities of high-quality graphene products. My thanks to our staff and university collaborators who worked on the successful application to the Department of Health.”

About First Graphene (ASX: FGR)

First Graphene Ltd. is the leading supplier of high-quality, bulk graphene products. The Company has a robust manufacturing platform based upon captive supply of high-purity raw materials and an established 100 tonnes/year graphene production capacity. Commercial applications are now being progressed in industrial composites & rubbers, fire retardancy, construction and energy storage.

First Graphene Ltd. is publicly listed in Australia (ASX: FGR) and has a primary manufacturing base in Henderson, near Perth, WA. The Company was recently incorporated in the UK as First Graphene (UK) Ltd. and is a Tier 1 partner at the Graphene Engineering and Innovation Centre (GEIC), Manchester, UK.

Register Interest