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Posted: Nov 10, 2025 2:09 PMUpdated: Nov 10, 2025 2:09 PM
Blue Whale Materials Celebrates Expansion of Bartlesville Facility
Nathan Thompson
Blue Whale Materials at Bartlesville's Industrial Park held a ceremonial beam signing Monday afternoon, as the lithium-ion battery recycler marks another expansion of their facility.
The expansion follows the commissioning of Blue Whale’s baseline black mass plant in August 2025, which established capacity to process up to 14,000 tons per year of battery manufacturing scrap into Blacksand — Blue Whale’s proprietary, high-purity black mass containing cobalt, nickel and lithium.
Blue Whale received a $55 million U.S. Department of Energy grant in January 2025, which will increase annual processing capacity to more than 20,000 tons by the first quarter 2026 and ultimately up to 50,000 tons per year as part of a four-year expansion plan.
David Favre, the company's co-founder and chief strategy officer, says Monday's ceremony was a significant positive step for Blue Whale and for Bartlesville.
U.S. Sen. James Lankford was scheduled to attend the ceremony in person, however, due to the votes on ending the government shutdown, he sent a video message instead congratulating Blue Whale Materials and Bartlesville on the expansion.
The Bartlesville facility is expected to support more than 150 employees, with the future growth bringing even more jobs to the community.
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