Blue Whale Materials, which is currently under construction at Bartlesville Industrial Park, has been selected to negotiate a $55 million federal grant for its operations.

Blue Whale is a lithium-ion battery recycling firm that announced plans to expand operations in Bartlesville back in September 2023. The potential grant is from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Battery Materials Recycling Processing and Battery Manufacturing Program, administered by the Department of Energy.

If awarded, the grant would be part of BWM’s larger $110 million expansion initiative, which will enable BWM’s Bartlesville facility to process up to 50,000 tons of battery feedstock annually and produce enough valuable critical minerals to power over 100,000 electric vehicles annually.

The expansion is expected to create 150 permanent jobs and 180 construction jobs, boosting local employment in Bartlesville and will help contribute to the state's sustainable growth.

Blue Whale says approximately $3 million of the grant would go towards workforce development and community outreach through expanded partnership programs with The Delaware Tribe of Indians, Blue Star Recyclers, Tri County Tech, and James Emmett and Company.