This month, we had the opportunity to sit down with Ryan Melsert, CEO of American Battery Technology Company.
The American Battery Technology Company (ABTC) is an integrated critical battery minerals company headquartered in Reno, Nevada that is commercializing our internally developed technologies for both primary battery critical minerals manufacturing and secondary critical minerals lithium-ion battery recycling. What sets ABTC apart is our unique business model, which includes commercial lithium-ion battery recycling operations and the development of our Tonopah Flats Lithium Project—one of the largest known lithium deposits in the United States. We have successfully manufactured battery-grade lithium hydroxide from claystone at this resource.
By housing both recycling and primary resource development under one roof, ABTC is creating a closed-loop system that supports the growing demand for critical battery-grade metals manufactured and produced in the United States. We are proud to be part of the Nevada Battery Coalition, and to be innovating and leading in domestic supply chain solutions for the U.S.
Their Vision…
ABTC’s vision is to leverage new, innovative technologies to address the critical challenges of the U.S. battery metals supply chain while ardently committing to creating new, economically viable sources of battery metals produced and manufactured right here in the United States.
They are laser-focused on commercializing and scaling innovative technologies that enable both the recycling of lithium-ion batteries and the responsible mining and manufacturing of primary battery metals.
A cornerstone of their vision is supporting and contributing to the Nevada Lithium Loop, to foster responsible battery materials production, create jobs, and drive economic opportunity in Nevada.
Why Nevada?
Nevada offers a unique combination of resource access, supply chain efficiency, and economic advantages that make it an ideal location for ABTC’s operations.
Nevada has emerged as a critical hub for the battery metals supply chain, thanks to its integrated “Lithium Loop” and unique geological, climatic, and strategic advantages. This integrated ecosystem gives Nevada, and the companies headquartered and doing business here, a competitive edge in supporting the domestic battery industry and reducing reliance on foreign sources for critical minerals.
Supportive policies and strategic partnerships play a key role in Nevada’s rise as a leader in the battery industry. The state offers tax incentives and a favorable regulatory environment to attract investments in lithium projects, and its designation as a federal Tech Hub underscores its importance in establishing domestic energy security.
As the U.S. seeks to reduce its reliance on foreign sources for critical minerals, Nevada’s Lithium Loop and abundant resources position it as a cornerstone of the nation’s battery supply chain, driving sustainability, resilience, and energy independence.
What is the latest for the Tonopah Flats Lithium Project?
As of late 2025, our Tonopah Flats Lithium Project continues to progress strongly. ABTC received FAST-41 Transparency Priority Project status from the U.S. Federal Permitting Council in June 2025, expediting federal permitting, and were added to the Permitting Dashboard in August.
ABTC secured a $58 million Department of Energy grant for the first phase of a lithium hydroxide facility and a $900 million letter of interest from EXIM Bank for mine and refinery expansion. Resource assessments confirmed about 21.2 million tons of economically accessible lithium hydroxide monohydrate, making it one of the largest U.S. resources. Our proprietary extraction technology has successfully produced battery-grade lithium hydroxide at a pilot scale. A new drilling program launched in early 2025 aims to refine our resource model and will inform an upcoming pre-feasibility study, further advancing commercialization plans.
Meet their CEO..
Ryan Melsert is deeply involved in energy systems and chemical-mechanical engineering. Early in my career, I worked extensively in large-scale power generation, including gas turbines at GE, nuclear facilities at Bechtel, and nuclear propulsion systems for the Navy at Lockheed Martin. Over time, I transitioned to working with smaller, startup companies focused on renewable energy, which allowed me to explore innovative solutions in the clean energy space.
His work eventually brought him into collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, where he had the opportunity to design groundbreaking technologies. He was fortunate to receive awards for developing new methods to generate electricity from geothermal energy, produce synthetic fuels from biomass, and recover lithium from unconventional resources. These experiences ultimately led me to Tesla.
At Tesla, he was part of the first small team on the ground to design and build the world’s first battery gigafactory at the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center. When they started, it was a greenfield site. Over the course of two years, they designed the building, developed the processes, and brought the facility online, eventually producing the gigafactory’s first high-quality battery cells.
Afterward, Ryan led an R&D team at Tesla focused on advancing upstream processes, including new methods for recovering and purifying critical elements to create the active materials used in batteries. After several years, Ryan, along with a group of colleagues he had hired at Tesla, decided to take the leap and start something new. Inspired by the startup-like environment of those early Tesla days, they evolved ABTC to tackle a critical challenge: creating a “reverse gigafactory.”
Instead of building batteries from raw materials, we envisioned a process to recycle end-of-life batteries. Our goal was to develop a system to break down full, electrically charged battery packs into modules, cells, and fundamental components, and then reintroduce those materials back into the supply chain.
Today, they have established their first commercial-scale battery recycling facility located in the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center and are recycling batteries and selling recycled products. They are developing our own lithium mine, one of the largest lithium deposits in the U.S., and have successfully produced battery-grade lithium from this resource—all right here in Nevada.
What makes the American Battery Technology Company’s recycling operation different?
Our commercial-scale lithium-ion battery recycling facility stands out due to our proprietary hydrometallurgical processes, which allow us to recover nine battery-grade materials from a wide range of sources at quality-levels that are meeting stringent global specifications from battery metals manufacturers. These include consumer electronics, stationary storage systems, electric vehicles, industrial power tools and equipment, and manufacturing scrap. This innovative approach ensures that we can efficiently and responsibly recycle materials critical to the battery supply chain.
What sets our recycling operations apart:
- Battery Form Agnostic: We accept fully charged batteries, full packs, and varying chemistries, making our process highly adaptable.
- Acceptance of Damaged, Defective, Recalled (DDR) Batteries: Our processes are designed to and can safely handle these potentially hazardous materials and recover battery materials to international and stringent battery-grade specifications.
- Transparent Costs: Clear pricing matrices provide predictable and fair costs for our partners.
- Safety: We meet all regulatory compliance requirements and hold key safety certifications, ensuring safe and reliable operations.
- Streamlined Logistics: Our team manages smooth transport and storage, adhering to all standards for safe handling.
- Responsible Recycling: Our methods have a significantly smaller environmental footprint compared to conventional recycling approaches.
Additionally, with the rapid expansion of datacenter infrastructure to support AI and machine learning, we are processing increasing volumes of feed material from stationary battery energy storage systems (BESS). This is alongside our work with end-of-life electric vehicles and consumer electronics, further diversifying our recycling capabilities.
By combining scalability, safety, and responsible recycling, we are setting a new standard for lithium-ion battery recycling, helping to close the loop on critical materials.
What are some of your recent successes?
ABTC has achieved significant milestones across financial performance, operations, and strategic partnerships, reflecting our rapid growth and commitment to innovation. Over the past two years, we have designed, built, constructed, and commissioned our recycling operations, and to now celebrate a full year of increased quarterly earnings is a testament to the success of our efforts. In Q4 FY 2025, our revenue nearly tripled to $2.8M from $1M in Q3, and for the full fiscal year, revenue surged to $4.3M, a remarkable 1,149% increase from FY 2024.
In addition to financial performance, we’ve gained significant market recognition. In June 2025, we were added to the Russell 2000 and 3000 Indexes, which drove increased trading volume and institutional ownership. Following our FY 2025 earnings announcement, we were also added to the S&P Global BMI Index, further enhancing our visibility and attracting new investor flows.
Operationally, we recently announced a partnership with Call2Recycle, the nation’s largest consumer battery stewardship program, which opens up a major new opportunity for ABTC in consumer battery recycling. This collaboration provides people across the U.S. with a direct way to recycle their used lithium-ion batteries, further expanding our reach and impact. Our Tonopah Flats Lithium Project was upgraded as a FAST-41 Covered Project by the U.S. Permitting Council, accelerating the federal permitting process. Additionally, we successfully closed out with the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium (USCAR) and the U.S. DOE Advanced Materials Manufacturing Technology Office, which supported the design, construction, and operation of our domestic claystone-to-lithium hydroxide pilot facility.
We’re also excited to share that we were honored with the Global Voltas Award, presented by Fastmarkets, for our pioneering battery recycling innovations this summer, and we were named the Recycling Technology Solution of 2025 by CleanTech Breakthrough.
What is on the horizon for ABTC?
ABTC is expanding to meet rising demand for domestic battery materials. In partnership with Black & Veatch, we are building a commercial-scale refinery capable of producing 30,000 metric tons of lithium hydroxide annually, supporting U.S. battery-grade lithium needs.
Their Tonopah Flats Lithium Project aims to enhance the domestic supply chain by integrating advanced technology, federal support, and sustainability. We plan to add a second lithium-ion battery recycling facility, focusing on streamlining operations through smaller facilities near gigafactories and larger plants at transportation hubs.
They are also innovating by constructing our refinery at the mine site, reducing transport costs and environmental impact, and enabling scalable expansion to support growing lithium demand in the U.S.
What challenges does our industry face right now and what do we need to do to overcome them?
The U.S. faces significant challenges in establishing a reliable and sustainable domestic battery supply chain. Currently, the nation relies heavily on foreign sources for critical materials like cobalt, lithium, and nickel, with China controlling over 80% of global processing for cathode and anode materials. This dependency creates vulnerabilities, as trade tensions, tariffs, and geopolitical risks can disrupt supply chains and drive up costs. Additionally, lengthy permitting processes, high capital investment requirements, and lower-grade domestic resources further delay the development of U.S.-based battery metals, recycling, mining and refining operations. Workforce shortages and reliance on unproven extraction technologies, also hinder the industry’s ability to scale aggressively and effectively.
To overcome these obstacles, the U.S. must take a multi-pronged appr oach. Streamlining the permitting process, such as the work Fast 41 is doing, is critical to reducing development timelines for new mines and facilities, allowing domestic supply to better meet growing demand. Leveraging incentives from legislation can help de-risk investments and bridge funding gaps for new projects. Supporting innovation through grants and funding for scalable technologies will also improve extraction efficiency and make lower-grade resources more viable.
Expanding domestic recycling infrastructure is another key solution. By investing in advanced recycling technologies and encouraging “closed-loop” manufacturing, the U.S. can reduce its reliance on raw material imports while creating a more reliable supply chain. Workforce development programs, such as the Department of Energy’s Battery Workforce Challenge, will be essential to training the technicians, engineers, and electrochemists needed to support the industry’s rapid growth.
Public-private partnerships play a pivotal role in addressing these challenges and driving collaboration across the battery metals supply chain. Organizations like the Nevada Battery Coalition are imperative and key to fostering partnerships between government, academia, and private industry, ensuring that resources, expertise, and innovation are aligned to scale domestic production. Strengthening supply chains with allied nations and leveraging international diplomacy will further reduce reliance on adversarial countries while promoting ethical and sustainable sourcing practices.
By streamlining processes, investing in innovation, and fortifying partnerships across all sectors, the U.S. can build a resilient, sustainable battery supply chain that supports its clean energy goals and strengthens its position in the global market.
Lastly, we asked Ryan, what do we need to grow this industry across the entire state of Nevada in the future?
Ryan responds, to expand its battery metals industry, we need to continue full development of the state’s “Lithium Loop,” creating a seamless domestic supply chain from mining and processing to manufacturing and recycling. While the state leads in lithium extraction, it could face challenges in areas such as workforce shortages, infrastructure, affordable housing and lengthy permitting processes.
Fostering collaboration through initiatives like the Nevada Battery Coalition, Nevada can solidify its leadership in the battery metals industry and support the nation’s push for a secure and resilient domestic supply chain.