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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Blue Whale Materials Expands Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Battery Recycling Operations

01/09/2025
Blue Whale Materials, a leader in advanced lithium-ion battery recycling, plans to expand its operations in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The $110 million project is expected to create 150 jobs.

The investment will allow the company to process up to 50,000 tons of battery feedstock annually and produce enough valuable critical minerals to power over 100,000 electric vehicles annually.

“We’re thrilled to have the U.S. DOE’s support, and this contracted award is further validation of BWM’s pioneering battery recycling process,” said BWM CEO Robert Kang. “This award directly supports Blue Whale’s mission of building a sustainable and resilient domestic supply chain of critical minerals. Blue Whale’s expansion in Bartlesville enables an increased high-grade black mass production capability, fueling economic growth, quality jobs, and investment in a historic energy community.”

The project is being supported by $55 million from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing Program.

“As the need for critical minerals grows, it is clear that we need to secure this supply chain. I’m proud Blue Whale calls Oklahoma home," noted Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt. Their growth in our state aligns with our focus on self-sufficiency in critical materials production and will bring quality jobs and investment to Oklahoma."

BWM is a portfolio company of Ara Partners, a global private equity firm that is decarbonizing the industrial economy. By scaling up operations, BWM said it will further establish itself as a leading supplier of critical minerals for electric vehicle manufacturers, battery producers, and energy storage companies. The expansion is another meaningful step toward creating a closed loop and sustainable feedstock solutions for spent lithium-ion batteries.

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