Blue Whale Materials Launches U.S. Battery Recycling Milestone in Oklahoma
Blue Whale Materials (BWM) has marked a significant milestone in U.S. battery recycling with the commissioning of a baseline black mass production facility in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The facility, supported by a $55 million U.S. Department of Energy grant, is set to boost domestic critical mineral production.
The Bartlesville plant produces Blacksand™, a high-quality, dry, mixed-metal precursor with low impurities. Currently, it can process up to 14,000 tonnes of battery manufacturing scrap annually, yielding Blacksand™ containing vital metals like cobalt, nickel, and lithium.
Once fully expanded, the facility's capacity will reach 50,000 tons per year. This project is a substantial step towards advancing domestic critical mineral production, as noted by Robert Kang, Co-Founder and CEO of BWM. Cory Steffek, Partner at Ara Partners, also praised BWM's ability to deliver practical, scalable solutions for domestic critical mineral recovery.
BWM offers comprehensive services, including full-service collection, logistics, sorting, testing, and grading of end-of-life batteries. The company is committed to advancing the U.S. battery recycling industry and plans to have its full battery recycling process operational by Q1 2026.
With the commissioning of the baseline black mass line, BWM has demonstrated its technological leadership in recovering vital battery-grade metals. The facility's expansion, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, will further strengthen domestic battery supply chains, as stated by David Fauvre, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at BWM. This development is a significant step towards producing needed critical minerals domestically and offering complete battery life-cycle solutions for customers.
