Aqua Metals breaks ground on new battery recycling plant

Aqua Metals Inc., an Oakland, California-based developer of electrochemical lead recycling technology, says it has broken ground on its new AquaRefinery™ battery recycling facility in McCarran, Nevada, near Reno.

The approximately 125,000-square-foot building is expected to be completed and begin production in the second quarter of 2016. The company says it anticipates reaching full operating capacity by the fourth quarter of 2016.

The facility and AquaRefining technology have been designed to deliver a better product at a higher yield, eliminate toxic waste, reduce permitting and be less expensive to build than a conventional smelting recycling plant, according to the company.

“With the recent completion of our IPO (initial public offering), we have now broken ground on the world’s first AquaRefinery in Nevada,” says Dr. Stephen Clarke, chairman and CEO of Aqua Metals. “This next step toward commercial operations is an important milestone in our mission to build an environmentally sustainable lead recycling company and we believe we have chosen an ideal location.”

In June 2015 Aqua Metals purchased 11.7 acres at the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center (TRIC) in McCarran, Nevada, for the new facility. The company says the region and site were chosen for their excellent infrastructure, logistics, favorable business climate and inadequate service by existing battery recycling smelters.

Steve Cotton, chief commercial officer of Aqua Metals adds, “We have been delighted in working with officials from Storey County (Nevada), EDAWN (Economic Development Administration of Western Nevada) and the USDA Rural Development team, who all participated in and added greatly to our groundbreaking event.”