Aqua Metals and Impossible Metals Sign MOU to Advance Sustainable U.S. Critical Minerals Supply Chain

Partnership Would Combine Responsible Seabed Mining and Domestic Refining to Strengthen America’s Critical Mineral Independence

RENO, Nev., Sept. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aqua Metals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AQMS) (“Aqua Metals”), a leader in clean metals recycling, announced today it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Impossible Metals, Inc. (“Impossible Metals”), a pioneer in selective seabed mineral collection. The two companies will work together to evaluate a new pathway for producing and refining the minerals most vital to electrification, national defense, and clean energy technologies.

By pairing Impossible Metals’ innovative approach to responsibly harvesting polymetallic nodules from the deep-sea floor with Aqua Metals’ proprietary AquaRefining platform, the collaboration seeks to establish a fully domestic and environmentally responsible supply chain for essential resources such as nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese, and rare earth elements.

The partnership will explore:

• Strengthening U.S. supply chain resilience by developing sources of critical minerals independent of overseas control, particularly China.
• Applying breakthrough refining technology to process deep-sea nodules through Aqua Metals’ low-carbon, closed-loop AquaRefining process that minimizes waste and environmental impact.
• End-to-end solutions that span from resource collection in U.S. waters to refining into high-purity metals at Aqua Metals’ facilities.
• Future opportunities to expand the scope of collaboration and contribute to a more stable global minerals market.

Impossible Metals has been at the forefront of shaping policy for responsible seabed mining in U.S. federal waters and is advancing toward the commercial launch of Eureka III, its autonomous underwater robotics platform designed to collect nodules without disturbing visible life. Aqua Metals has already proven its ability to deliver battery-grade lithium, high-purity cobalt, and nickel from recycled black mass. The recycling company has recently expanded its development program to include alternative feedstocks, including nodules, refining residues, and ores, making it an ideal refining partner for Impossible Metals.