Aqua Metals, a Nevada-based listed metal recycler, has announced the transition to full-scale battery recycling operations following the completion of its Li AquaRefining recycling pilot.

The company claims to be the first fully operational lithium battery recycler using advanced electro-hydrometallurgy to recover valuable metals, including cobalt, manganese dioxide, high-purity lithium hydroxide , nickel , and copper.

The company reports that at full-scale operations, it holds a processing capacity of 75 tons per annum (tpa) of black mass input. The company is also in the process of advancing the development and commissioning of its first commercial-scale facility in Tahoe-Reno , which would have a production capacity of 3,000 tpa of black mass. 

Aqua Metals intends to sell the high-purity and battery-grade materials produced at the pilot plant to metal buyers and start generating initial revenue from recycled metals in Q3 2023. The company also plans to continue to distribute high-purity production samples to existing and potential customers in the battery and cathode manufacturing sectors. With favorable metal prices and projected processing costs, the company anticipates generating positive cash flow.