Aqua Metals, Inc. has established an Innovation Center focused on applying its proven technology to lithium-ion battery recycling research and development and prototype system activities. Aqua Metals’ strategic decision to apply its proven clean, closed-loop hydrometallurgical and electrochemical recycling experience to lithium-ion battery recycling is designed to meet the growing demand for critical metals driven by the global transition to electric vehicles, growth in Internet data centers, and alternative energy applications including solar, wind, and grid-scale storage. The global lithium-ion battery recycling market size is predicted to be $11.07 billion in 2027. The Aqua Metals Innovation Center is located in Tahoe Reno Industrial Center (TRIC), with many of the world’s foremost technology companies, including the Tesla GigaFactory, Blockchain, Google, Jet.com, and Switch. The Aqua Metals Innovation Center has been strategically and cost-effectively designed to meet the Company’s R&D needs. The objective of the Innovation Center is to expand the development of breakthrough technologies for sustainable metal recycling that can deliver high-value raw materials back into the manufacturing supply chain while reducing emissions and toxic byproducts, creating safer work environments and lowering reliance on unstable and toxic mining and smelting operations. The Company’s continued R&D efforts are intended to build on the environmental and economic benefits proven with the Company’s AquaRefining for Lead patented technologies. Aqua Metals filed a provisional patent earlier in 2021 for recovering high-value metals from recycled lithium-ion batteries to complement the 68 awarded and 49 pending patents for AquaRefining. Early phase testing shows promise for applying AquaRefining methodology, used for plating ultra-high purity lead, to plating the metals found in lithium-ion batteries such as cobalt, nickel, and copper. Lithium and manganese will be recovered in other forms. The Innovation Center’s R&D efforts are focused on developing the cleanest and most cost-efficient lithium-ion recycling solution that recovers a higher percentage of the metals at a higher quality with a lower operating cost than the current methodologies being applied in the industry. All without the damaging effects of furnaces and greenhouse emissions.