Aqua Metals Purchases Land in Nevada's TRIC for First Battery AquaRefinery

OAKLAND, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/04/15 -- Aqua Metals, Inc. ("Aqua Metals" or the "Company"), a developer of a patent-pending electrochemical battery recycling technology that has the potential to transform the $24 billion global lead industry, has entered into a contract to purchase 12.5 acres in Nevada's Tahoe Reno Industrial Center (TRIC) to establish the site of the company's first AquaRefinery™. Subject to acquisition of additional financing, the Company plans to begin construction of its AquaRefinery in mid-2015 and be fully operational by the first quarter of 2016. When completed, the AquaRefinery will be the world's first large-scale lead recycling facility that does not require a traditional smelter to reprocess lead batteries.

"Lead acid batteries represent more than 95% of the World's annual production of rechargeable batteries and, unlike any other battery technology, they are almost 100% recycled. However, lead acid battery recycling is one of the World's most polluting industries. By opening the first ultra-clean lead acid battery recycling facility, Aqua Metals' goal is to allow batteries to be thoughtfully and cleanly reprocessed," said Steve Cotton, Chief Commercial Officer of Aqua Metals.

Dr. Stephen Clarke, Chairman and CEO of Aqua Metals, added: "Our AquaRefinery is intended to produce lead with a much higher purity than can be achieved with conventional recycling. High purity lead is becoming scarce and is essential for the production of more advanced lead acid batteries. With our neighbor, Tesla, focused on Li-ion batteries, Storey County, NV is becoming a community of battery and battery material innovators who see the value of this location."

About Aqua Metals, Inc.
Aqua Metals, Inc. has developed AquaRefining™; a new approach to lead-acid battery recycling that is designed to be less expensive, more efficient and capable of producing a purer product than conventional smelting. AquaRefining also has the potential to eliminate virtually all of the toxic waste issues generated by smelting. Aqua Metals has engineering offices in Oakland, California and is in the process of establishing commercial lead production AquaRefining facilities. For more information, please visit www.aqmetals.com.

Company Contact:
Dr. Stephen R. Clarke
Chairman and CEO
Aqua Metals, Inc.
1035 22^nd Avenue, Unit 16
Oakland, CA 94606
www.aqmetals.com
Office: 1-510-479-7635

Source: Aqua Metals Inc.

Released March 4, 2015