Blue Whale Materials, a pioneering sustainable lithium-ion battery recycling firm, has unveiled the location of its inaugural lithium-ion battery processing facility in the United States. The company has selected Bartlesville, Oklahoma, a charming town situated near the Kansas border, as the site for its commercial facility, nestled within a sprawling 35-acre campus.
This substantial investment will encompass a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and a 50,000-square-foot warehouse, contributing to the creation of approximately 90 new job opportunities.
Blue Whale’s Bartlesville campus is strategically designed to accommodate a comprehensive array of battery processing activities, including testing, dismantling, and storage.
Robert Kang, CEO and co-founder of Blue Whale, envisions his company as a transformative force in the battery industry. Historically, the battery recycling sector has grappled with the challenge of insufficient critical mass, hindering its growth. David Fauvre, Blue Whale’s Chief Strategy Officer and co-founder, asserts that the company has already secured supply commitments and is diligently constructing the new facility to meet the surging demand for processing services.
This announcement marks a significant milestone in the development of a domestic supply chain for critical minerals, particularly as the United States strives to establish a self-reliant ecosystem, reducing reliance on Chinese resources that could become vulnerable amid shifting trade dynamics.
The newly established plant will harness Blue Whale’s proprietary Blacksand technology, a cutting-edge process for transforming spent lithium-ion batteries and production scrap into a highly concentrated dry product. This product contains valuable elements such as cobalt, nickel, lithium, copper, and aluminum. Notably, the Blacksand process efficiently removes organics and impurities, yielding a high-purity material that streamlines downstream refining stages. In contrast to conventional wet techniques that can complicate further refining, this dry technology enhances the recycling process’s efficiency and elevates the quality of the recovered materials.
While recycling is a vital avenue for dealing with spent batteries, alternative approaches are emerging. For instance, Nissan recently formed a joint venture with JVCKenwood and 4R Energy to repurpose Leaf EV batteries into portable power sources.
Blue Whale’s diversified portfolio also includes a testing and evaluation subsidiary, BW Energy & Innovation, based in Greenfield, Indiana. This subsidiary will provide testing and grading services for lithium-ion batteries, opening avenues for secondary usage when applicable. According to Fauvre, this strategic channel can lead to higher value endpoints for certain batteries and battery types, presenting an enticing alternative to traditional recycling.
In exchange for Blue Whale’s undisclosed investment, the Bartlesville Development Authority (BOA) and the city have extended several incentives. The BOA has allocated up to $1 million for facility enhancements, which it owns. Additionally, the BOA is offering up to $750,000 in rent credits over the initial 25 months for the 50 full-time equivalent positions generated by the new facility. These incentives are available through Bartlesville’s Economic Development Fund, which will be administered by the BOA. If Blue Whale’s growth surpasses projections, the company may be eligible for up to $600,000 in additional incentives until January 2026.
Fauvre reveals that Blue Whale is actively exploring potential grants under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Energy announced over $192 million in fresh funding to support battery recycling initiatives targeting consumer products.