RENO, Nev. (August, 24, 2015) – The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) has announced that Aqua Metals, Inc, a developer of a patent pending electrochemical battery recycling technology has landed in the Reno-Tahoe-Industrial Center (TRIC), McCarran Nevada and will be the site of the company’s first AquaRefinery™. The first lead production is planned to begin by mid-2016 and will be at full capacity by late 2016. The AquaRefinery is the world’s first large-scale clean battery recycling facility and does not require a traditional smelter to reprocess lead batteries. Aqua Metals is planning to hire up to 70 employees and are also projected to invest more than $29M in the new Nevada facility.
Dr. Stephen Clarke, Chairman and CEO of Aqua Metals, said “Our AquaRefinery is intended to produce lead with a much higher purity than can be achieved with conventional recycling. High purity lead is becoming scarce and is essential for the production of more advanced lead acid batteries. With our neighbor, Tesla, focused on Li-ion batteries, Storey County, NV is becoming a community of battery and battery material innovators who see the value of this location.” According to Clarke, lower operating costs were one of the key factors in the company’s decision to relocate to Northern Nevada.
“Aqua Metals is bringing new technology and clean energy to Storey County and we’re excited to welcome them to their new northern Nevada home,” Marshall McBride, Storey County Commissioner, said. “With the excitement of all the major projects happening at Tahoe Reno Industrial Center, Aqua Metals again shows that this region is primed for continued economic growth and vitality. We look forward to seeing them succeed.”
“A green company that is adding quality jobs and helping to clean up the environment is a great fit for our community,” said Mike Kazmierski, CEO of EDAWN. “It is exciting to see that Aqua Metals is using revolutionary technology to reprocess these lead acid batteries and further identifies our region as an attractive place for innovative companies.”
Several local business partners that assisted Aqua Metals to establish themselves here include, Dickson Commercial Group-Dominic Brunetti and Scott Shanks, NV Energy-Brad Woodring, Nevada Industry for Excellence- Rhea Gustafson and Nevada Job Connect-John Parel.
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About EDAWN
The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada is a private/ public partnership established in 1983 committed to recruiting, expanding and supporting newly forming quality companies that bring jobs to the region and have a positive impact on the quality of life in Greater Reno-Sparks-Tahoe.
About Aqua Metals, Inc.
Aqua Metals, Inc. has developed AquaRefining™ a new approach to lead-acid battery recycling that is designed to be less expensive, more efficient and capable of producing a purer product than conventional smelting. AquaRefining also has the potential to eliminate virtually all of the toxic waste issues generated by smelting. Aqua Metals has engineering offices in Oakland, CA and is in the process of establishing commercial lead production AquaRefining facilities. For more information, please visit www.aquametals.com
Contact:
Norma Yamaji, EDAWN Marketing Coordinator, 775.829.3768, yamaji@edawn.org