Aqua Metals Named Breakthrough Solution of the Year

Company wins prestigious Platts Metals Awards, presented by S&P Global Platts, for advances in lead recycling technology

ALAMEDA, Calif., May 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aqua Metals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQMS), (“Aqua Metals” or the “Company”), which is commercializing a non-polluting electrochemical lead recycling technology called AquaRefining™, was named winner of the Platts Global Metals Award, presented by S&P Global Platts, for the Breakthrough Solution of the Year. This is the second year in a row that Aqua Metals has been recognized for its innovation and leadership in the metals world. Both awards recognize the AquaRefining process, the lead industry’s first environmentally friendly technology for lead-acid battery recycling.

“To be recognized by a renowned global organization two years in a row delivers credibility to the significant progress we’ve made in bringing AquaRefining to commercialization,” said Dr. Stephen Clarke, chairman and CEO of Aqua Metals. “This is a reflection of the sheer talent and hard work of our team, as we ramped up production at our flagship AquaRefinery over the past several months.” 

Aqua Metals’ patent-pending AquaRefining process is a closed-loop, room temperature electrochemical process that emits virtually no harmful byproducts. The modular design of the AquaRefining technology enables unprecedented scalability, allowing for the co-location of lead-acid battery manufacturing, distribution and recycling. For the first time, the lead industry has an environmentally and economically sustainable solution to efficiently recycle lead-acid batteries.

This year’s Platts award comes on the heels of the Company’s acceptance of the San Francisco Business Times Tech and Innovation award, recognizing Aqua Metals as one of the most innovative companies in the Bay Area.

Aqua Metals executives attended the Platts awards ceremony in London on May 18, 2017, where the winners were announced. The Company was also named finalist for two additional awards –  Deal of the Year and Industry Leadership – Base & Specialty Metals. Last year, Aqua Metals won the Rising Star award and was a finalist in the Industry Leadership – Base & Specialty Metals category. The awards consider entrants from over 150 countries and represent a prestigious industry honor for innovation.

About Aqua Metals
Aqua Metals, Inc. (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 allow the Company to vastly reduce environmental impact and scale lead acid recycling production capacity both by building its own AquaRefineries and licensing the AquaRefining technology to partners. This meets growing demand for lead to power new applications including stop/start automobile batteries which complement the vehicle’s main battery, Internet data centers, alternative energy applications including solar, wind, and grid scale storage. Aqua Metals is based in Alameda, California, and has built its first recycling facility in Nevada’s Tahoe Reno Industrial Complex. 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 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 the Company’s 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 the Company only recently commenced revenue producing operations, thus subjecting the Company to all of the risks inherent in a pre-revenue start-up; (2) risks related to Aqua Metals’ ability to raise sufficient capital, as and when needed, to develop and operate its recycling facilities; (3) changes in the federal, state and foreign laws regulating the recycling of lead acid batteries; (4) the Company’s ability to protect its proprietary technology, trade secrets and know-how and (5) those other risks disclosed in the section “Risk Factors” included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 2, 2017. 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.

Aqua Metals Media Relations:
Antenna
Sharon Golubchik
Vice President
201-465-8008
aquametals@antennagroup.com

Aqua Metals Investor Relations:
MZ North America
Greg Falesnik
Managing Director
Main: 949-385-6449
greg.falesnik@mzgroup.us
www.mzgroup.us

Released May 23, 2017