Aqua Metals Selected as Industrial Partner on DOE-Funded Idaho National Laboratory Program Advancing Critical Minerals Refining

RENO, Nev., June 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aqua Metals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AQMS), a pioneer in sustainable critical minerals recovery and lithium battery recycling, today announced that it has been selected as the industrial partner on a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-funded research program led by Idaho National Laboratory (INL) focused on advancing next-generation battery recycling technologies.

The project will evaluate electrochemically driven alternatives to conventional solvent extraction for the separation of nickel and cobalt from lithium-ion battery recycling streams, supporting the development of more efficient and economically competitive domestic critical minerals refining technologies.

Aqua Metals will contribute its battery recycling expertise, pilot-scale operating experience, and Tahoe-Reno Innovation Center infrastructure to support the program. The collaboration strengthens Aqua Metals' relationship with the Department of Energy and one of the nation's leading energy research laboratories while reinforcing the Company's position as a technology leader in electrified battery materials refining.

The project also highlights the versatility of Aqua Metals' technology platform across both lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery chemistries, reinforcing the Company's ability to adapt to evolving battery markets and feedstock streams.

"This collaboration demonstrates the continued strategic value of Aqua Metals' investments in next-generation battery recycling technologies," said Steve Cotton, President and CEO of Aqua Metals. "Our Tahoe-Reno Innovation Center and demonstration plant provide a unique platform capable of processing real battery-derived materials and generating commercial-scale operating data that bridges the gap between laboratory research and industrial deployment. We believe the future of domestic critical minerals refining lies in electrified processes that lower operating costs, reduce chemical consumption, and create a more resilient North American battery supply chain, and this collaboration further supports that long-term vision."

Traditional battery recycling and critical minerals refining rely heavily on sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, solvent extraction reagents, and other consumable chemicals. Aqua Metals' long-term technology strategy is to electrify battery materials refining wherever practical by replacing recurring chemical consumption with electrochemical process integration and reagent regeneration technologies. The Company believes domestic critical minerals refining will only achieve long-term competitiveness if U.S. operators can fundamentally reduce operating costs while reducing dependence on imported chemical supply chains and conventional refining reagents.

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