Reno — Nevada Hydrometallurgy Refinery
Reno, Nevada facility: hydrometallurgical refinery converting black mass into battery-grade lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese salts. Rated at 45,000 tonnes per annum and operating since 2019.
Annual capacity
45,000 TPA
Operating lines
3
Cities collected
7
In operation since
2019
About the Reno, Nevada facility
The Tahoe Reno Industrial Center, east of Reno, hosts some of the largest battery and cell manufacturing operations in North America alongside major logistics and data-centre developments. The refinery opened there in 2019 so that black mass and cell production scrap could be refined within a short drive of where cells are made, rather than being shipped across the continent or overseas.
At 45,000 TPA it is the network's largest refinery in the Americas. It receives black mass from US and Canadian campuses, scrap from nearby cell plants and material from third-party shredders, and turns it into battery-grade salts for North American cathode and cell supply chains, with batch records that help customers trace where critical minerals were processed. Sampling and assay at intake set the basis for settlement.
What arrives at the gate
What sets this site apart
Next door to cell manufacturing
Scrap from nearby cell production is refined without long transport legs.
Largest Americas refinery
45,000 TPA of capacity anchors the network's North American refining.
Traceable output
Batch records support customers documenting North American processing of critical minerals.
What happens to material here
- 1
Feed assay & sampling
Incoming black mass is homogenised and assayed by ICP-OES for Li, Ni, Co, Mn, Cu, Al and fluoride before it is released to leach.
- 2
Sulphuric acid leaching
Two-stage leach at 60–85 °C with peroxide reductant dissolves cathode metals at 96–99% extraction efficiency.
- 3
Impurity removal
Iron, aluminium and copper are precipitated and filtered; graphite is recovered as a separate low-ash cake.
- 4
Solvent extraction trains
Sequential Co, Ni and Mn circuits with counter-current mixer-settlers deliver individual metal raffinates.
- 5
Crystallisation & drying
Nickel and cobalt sulphate hexahydrate plus lithium carbonate are crystallised to 99.5%+ battery grade and bagged under nitrogen.
- 6
Batch certification
Every batch ships with a certificate of analysis, mass balance and chain-of-custody record for EPR and IRA reporting.
Where material goes next
| Role | Facility | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Cell Grading & Diagnostics | Fremont — California Diagnostics Works | 291 km |
| Second-Life BESS Works | Gothenburg — Nordic Second-Life Campus | 8,309 km |
| Integrated Recovery Campus | Detroit — Michigan Closed-Loop Plant | 3,080 km |
Local rules
EPA universal waste rules, DOT hazardous materials regulations and state programmes · EPA, DOT PHMSA and state environmental agencies
The refinery is permitted through the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, with conditions on air emissions, water use and hazardous materials. Inbound feed is managed under the applicable US EPA hazardous or universal waste rules, and shipments follow US DOT hazardous materials regulations.
Before you book into Reno, Nevada
- Only black mass and cell or cathode scrap are accepted at this site.
- Bulk bags must be sealed, labelled and accompanied by chemistry declarations.
- Deliveries are booked into fixed dock windows at the industrial centre.
- Settlement follows sampling and assay at intake, with results shared with the consignor.
Damaged or defective packs are handled under a separate quarantine protocol — flag them in the form and the team calls you back the same day.
Reno, Nevada site: common questions
Can I send whole EV packs to Reno?
No. Reno refines black mass and scrap. Whole packs should go to a collection, grading or integrated site first.
What does Reno produce?
Battery-grade nickel, cobalt and lithium salts, each batch issued with an analysis certificate.
What are the opening hours at Reno, Nevada?
Monday to Friday 08:00 – 20:00, Saturday 08:00 – 16:00. Sunday: emergency and damaged-pack intake only, by prior booking.
How do I book a collection into Reno, Nevada?
Use the booking button on this page with pack counts, chemistry and condition. The despatch desk confirms a window within one working day and ships UN-approved packaging before collection.