Aqua Metals Wins IChemE Award for Sustainable Technology

Lead Recycling Process Also Given Special Mention by ICIS for Best Process Innovation Award

ALAMEDA, Calif., Nov. 04, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aqua Metals (NASDAQ:AQMS), which is commercializing a non-polluting electrochemical lead recycling technology called AquaRefining™, today announced that it was named the winner of the Sustainable Technology Award in the 2016 IChemE awards program. The company has also received a special mention by ICIS in the Best Process Innovation award category. Both awards recognize the company’s AquaRefining process, which has the potential to revolutionize the lead recycling industry through producing ultra-pure lead with a fundamentally non-polluting, water-based, room temperature process.

“To be honored by two leaders in the chemical engineering industry in such a short time brings attention to the magnitude of the changes we intend to make in the way lead is processed,” said Dr. Stephen R. Clarke, chairman and CEO.

The IChemE awards are presented by the Institution of Chemical Engineers. The IChemE aims to recognize organizations who are raising the bar in the field by improving the practices and applications of chemical engineering. The organization has recognized Aqua Metals for its innovation and sustainability efforts in transforming the way lead is recycled.

The ICIS Innovation Award aims to recognize companies and individuals who have shown innovation in chemical products and processes. They take into consideration the way the innovations benefit the environment and lead the way towards sustainability. The organization gave special mention to Aqua Metals for taking significant technological and business steps toward making AquaRefining a tangible reality in 2016. 

The first AquaRefinery located in the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center (TRIC) in Nevada was built in less than 18 months after the company went public in July 2015 and recently produced the first AquaRefined lead. Aqua Metals is  partnering with key companies in the industry, including Interstate Batteries and Battery Systems International, to supply spent lead acid battery cores to the first AquaRefinery.

About Aqua Metals, Inc.
Aqua Metals (NASDAQ:AQMS) is reinventing lead recycling with its patent-pending AquaRefining^TM technology. Unlike smelting, AquaRefining is a room temperature, water-based process that is fundamentally non-polluting. These modular systems are expected to allow the lead-acid battery industry to simultaneously improve environmental impact and scale production to meet rapidly growing demand. Aqua Metals is based in Alameda, California and built its first recycling facility in Nevada’s Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center. To learn more, please visit www.aquametals.com.

Safe Harbor
This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning Aqua Metals, Inc., the lead-acid battery recycling industry, the intended benefits of its agreements with Interstate Batteries, the future of lead-acid battery recycling via traditional smelters, the Company’s development of its commercial lead-acid battery recycling facilities and the quality, efficiency and profitability of Aqua Metals’ proposed lead-acid battery recycling operations. Those forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially. Among those factors are: (1) the fact that Company has only recently commenced lead producing operations, thus subjecting the Company to all of the risks inherent in a pre-revenue start-up; (2) the uncertainties involved in any new commercial relationship and the risk that Aqua Metals will not receive the intended benefits of its agreements with Interstate Batteries; (3) risks related to Aqua Metals’ ability to raise sufficient capital, as and when needed, to develop and operate its recycling facilities; (4) changes in the federal, state and foreign laws regulating the recycling of lead-acid batteries; (5) the Company’s ability to protect its proprietary technology, trade secrets and know-how and (6) those other risks disclosed in the section “Risk Factors” included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K  filed with the SEC on March 28, 2016. Aqua Metals cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to update or revise such statements to reflect new circumstances or unanticipated events as they occur.

Media Relations:
Antenna
Brigit Carlson
201-465-8031
brigit@antennagroup.com
www.antennagroup.com

Investor Relations:
MZ North America
Greg Falesnik
949-385-6449
greg.falesnik@mzgroup.us
www.mzgroup.us

Released November 4, 2016