Li-ion battery recycling company Blue Whale Materials (BWM) will site its inaugural li-ion battery processing facility in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Blue Whale’s commercial facility will be situated within a 35-acre campus including 150,000 square feet of warehouse space at the Bartlesville Industrial Park and encompasses multiple lots designed to facilitate battery processing, testing, dismantling, and storage.

The facility will utilize Blue Whale Materials’ proprietary Blacksand technology that processes spent li-ion batteries and production scrap into a highly concentrated dry product containing cobalt, nickel and lithium as well as copper and aluminum products.

Blue Whale Materials’ process removes organics and impurities, ensuring a high-purity material that simplifies downstream refining steps. Unlike traditional wet processes, which can complicate further refining, the dry Blacksand technology streamlines the recycling process and enhances the quality of the recovered materials.

The choice of Bartlesville was driven by various factors, including the state‘s pro-business environment and commitment to clean energy, and the robust infrastructure present in the Bartlesville region, the company said.