Aqua Metals Develops Nickel Carbonate Product to Expand Market Reach and Maximize Process Efficiency

/EIN News/ -- RENO, Nev., April 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aqua Metals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AQMS), a pioneer in sustainable lithium battery recycling, today announced the development of a new product — nickel carbonate — expanding the company’s portfolio of high-value battery metal compounds and demonstrating the adaptability of its patented AquaRefining™ process.

As global battery markets evolve and diversify, Aqua Metals continues to lead with flexible, forward-looking solutions designed to meet the needs of the supply chain both today and tomorrow. The company recently announced its achievements in developing a novel recycling process for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries and continues to diversify both its feedstock and product capabilities. The company’s innovative process now allows for recovery and conversion into high-purity nickel carbonate, a material increasingly in demand across multiple regions globally, where carbonate forms are high value for battery and metallurgical applications.

“Our ability to develop and qualify new products like nickel carbonate is a direct reflection of Aqua Metals’ adaptable technology and deep expertise in critical materials,” said Steve Cotton, President and CEO of Aqua Metals. “As the market shifts, we are well-positioned to respond quickly — turning byproducts into revenue streams and continuing to deliver sustainable, U.S.-based solutions for battery recycling.”

Nickel carbonate can be further processed into pure nickel metal for various applications or converted into nickel oxide, a critical input for the steel industry — offering Aqua Metals strategic optionality to serve multiple industrial sectors.

“Developing a high-purity nickel carbonate product as an additional battery material resource Aqua Metals can offer battery manufacturers is a testament to the power and flexibility of our technology,” said Ben Taecker, Chief Operations and Engineering Officer at Aqua Metals. “Our team continues to find new ways to optimize recovery, reduce waste, and respond to real-time market needs — all while maintaining our commitment to clean, low-impact processes.”

This product innovation aligns with Aqua Metals’ broader strategy to scale the production of battery-grade lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese materials with its patented AquaRefining technology. As the company advances off-take discussions and project financing, the introduction of nickel carbonate underscores Aqua Metals’ momentum in building a robust, diversified domestic supply chain for critical minerals essential to the advanced energy economy.

About Aqua Metals

Aqua Metals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AQMS) is reinventing metals recycling with its patented AquaRefining™ technology. The Company is pioneering a sustainable recycling solution for materials strategic to energy storage and electric vehicle manufacturing supply chains. AquaRefining™ is a low-emissions, closed-loop recycling technology that replaces polluting furnaces and hazardous chemicals with electricity-powered electroplating to recover valuable metals and materials from spent batteries with higher purity, lower emissions, and minimal waste. Aqua Metals is based in Reno, NV and operates the first sustainable lithium battery recycling facility at the Company’s Innovation Center in the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center. To learn more, please visit www.aquametals.com.

Aqua Metals Social Media

Aqua Metals has used, and intends to continue using, its investor relations website (https://ir.aquametals.com), in addition to its X, Threads, LinkedIn and YouTube accounts at https://x.com/AquaMetalsInc (@AquaMetalsInc), https://www.threads.net/@aquametalsinc (@aquametalsinc), https://www.linkedin.com/company/aqua-metals-limited and https://www.youtube.com/@AquaMetals respectively, as means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD.

Safe Harbor

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning Aqua Metals, Inc. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, our plans, objectives, expectations, and intentions and other statements that contain words such as "expects," "contemplates," "anticipates," "plans," "intends," "believes", "estimates", "potential" and variations of such words or similar expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes, or that do not relate to historical matters. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to those risks disclosed in the section "Risk Factors" included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 31, 2025. Aqua Metals cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake and specifically disclaims any obligation to update or revise such statements to reflect on new circumstances or unanticipated events as they occur, except as required by law.

Contact Information

Investor Relations
Bob Meyers & Rob Fink
FNK IR
646-878-9204
aqms@fnkir.com

Media
David Regan
Aqua Metals
415-336-3553
david.regan@aquametals.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/09cf52c6-e57f-4c01-a85a-d517c3a3ff7a