Aqua Metals cites improvements to its battery recycling technology

Aqua Metals Inc., McCarren, Nevada, is working to improve lead recycling with its AquaRefining technology and has announced the completion of its V1.25L electrolyzer program.

Through the completion, Aqua Metals says it has achieved lead production that is 100 percent greater compared with the V1.0 electrolyzer deployed at the AquaRefinery during commercial production in 2018 and 2019. Previously, Aqua Metals guided a 20 percent increase of throughput, yet the V1.25L electrolyzer surpassed that guidance by 500 percent.

These results should positively affect capital and operating expenses for future equipment supply and licensee customers, according to the company. The doubling of throughput results in a 50 percent reduction in the number of electrolyzers needed for equivalent lead production. 

In addition, electrolyzer operating expenses have been reduced by greater than 60 percent compared with the V1.0 electrolyzer, with the combined impact of improvements in automation and increased throughput. The current design has a single-button-start-and-stop functionality with no manual interaction required during operation, along with automated maintenance capability, Aqua Metals says.

“We are very pleased with the results of the V1.25L program which was completed on schedule and under budget,” says Steve Cotton, president and CEO of Aqua Metals. “The results give us the ability to communicate a greater value proposition to future customers and should positively impact our economics of equipment supply and licensing agreements. We chose to focus our 2020 efforts on product improvement in support of accelerating our strategic shift to an equipment plus services supplier and a licensor of our technology. We believe the improvements realized with V1.25L position us quite well as product ready in the ongoing discussions we’ve been having with recyclers all over the globe.

“I am extremely proud of the Aqua Metals team,” he adds. “Our dedicated staff has performed beyond expectations. The economic improvements to AquaRefining that we achieved strengthen our position tremendously to help the lead battery industry go greener and safer. Cleaner recycling makes lead batteries a truly sustainable solution for an energy storage market that is becoming an increasingly critical part of the fast-developing sustainable energy-based economy.”