Aqua Metals, 6K Energy partner to develop materials for lithium batteries

Aqua Metals announced a partnership to develop the next generation of low-carbon battery materials and plans to establish a long-term agreement for 6K Energy’s PlusCAM cathode material manufacturing plant. Both Aqua Metals and 6K Energy share the vision of creating a domestic low-carbon supply chain for critical battery materials and advancing cost-effective production methods for sustainable lithium-ion batteries. The Companies have initiated the partnership with a non-recurring engineering agreement to further develop low-carbon technology for the conversion of critical metals, first virgin and later recycled material, into battery-grade cathode active material precursors, which are essential to 6K Energy’s advanced cathode manufacturing. "Aqua Metals believes that the key to sustainable energy lies in leveraging the full potential of recycled materials in manufacturing lithium-ion batteries, building a circular supply chain domestically, and minimizing the environmental impact of the clean energy industry," said Steve Cotton, President & CEO of Aqua Metals. "Our commitment to pioneering low-carbon, closed-loop battery recycling powered by electricity aligns perfectly with 6K Energy’s groundbreaking sustainable cathode manufacturing, and our partnership signifies a major step towards U.S. leadership in the next generation of net-zero battery materials and technologies." The Companies plan to co-locate pCAM manufacturing with 6K Energy’s PlusCAM factory. PlusCAM will be the world’s first UniMelt plasma cathode manufacturing plant, providing low cost, ultra-sustainable production of battery material in the U.S., with production capacity of 13,000 tons per annum.