A US based lithium-ion battery recycling company has completed the mechanical installation of a new integrated processing line at its facility in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, expanding its ability to recover critical minerals from end of life batteries and manufacturing scrap.
The facility can process lithium-ion battery cells, modules and complete battery packs through a single integrated operation. The system uses the company proprietary Blacksand technology to produce high grade black mass containing recovered nickel, cobalt and lithium.
The expansion increases the facility’s annual battery feedstock processing capacity from 14,000 metric tons to 20,000 metric tons, equivalent to about 22,046 short tons. This represents an increase of nearly 43%.
The company began commissioning the expanded line earlier this month with the process expected to continue through the end of 2026. Once fully operational, the system is expected to increase the volume of recovered critical minerals available for the US domestic supply chain.
The new processing line was completed while the facility’s existing operations remained active and continued shipping recovered materials.
The expansion marks the first phase of a broader project supported by the US Department of Energy. By handling different battery formats on the same processing line, the facility is designed to provide recycling services at larger scale while recovering materials that can be used in the battery supply chain.
The recovered black mass contains key battery materials including lithium, nickel and cobalt. Recycling these materials can reduce the need for newly mined resources and help retain critical minerals within the battery manufacturing cycle.
The company will now focus on commissioning the integrated system and increasing production toward its expanded annual capacity. It said the new infrastructure, together with recent investment, provides a foundation for further growth in battery recycling and critical mineral recovery.
The development comes as demand for lithium ion batteries continues to grow across electric vehicles, energy storage and other applications, increasing the need for systems capable of recovering valuable materials from both used batteries and manufacturing waste.