FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: May 2, 2023
CONTACT: Elizabeth Norton, Brunswick Group, Enorton@brunswickgroup.com, (202) 290 6408
Blue Whale Materials Acquires Eclipse Energy, Announces New Subsidiary to Expand Battery Testing and Evaluation Business
Washington, D.C. – Blue Whale Materials (BWM), a leading lithium-ion (li-ion) battery recycling company, announced today that it has acquired Eclipse Energy, a Greenfield, IN-based battery testing and evaluation lab. The acquisition will enable Blue Whale Materials to expand its testing offerings to cover the entire life cycle of batteries, from initial testing to end-of-life evaluation for remanufacturing or reuse in secondary applications.
To facilitate this expansion, Blue Whale Materials has formed a new subsidiary, BW Energy and Innovation, dedicated to battery testing and evaluation. BW Energy and Innovation will offer a broad range of battery testing and certification services across the increasingly diverse set of battery chemistries, including performance, thermal cycling, aging, and abuse and safety testing.
BW Energy and Innovation will leverage the expertise and capabilities of Eclipse’s founders, Dave Roberts, Michael Galyen and Ben Wrightsman, who will serve as advisors to the new entity as it provides customers with these comprehensive services, builds upon the foundation set by Eclipse over the past decade, and continues to grow over time.
"We are thrilled to welcome Eclipse Energy to the Blue Whale family," said Robert Kang, CEO of Blue Whale Materials. "Eclipse brings unparalleled expertise in battery testing and evaluation. Our customers will now have access to end-to-end solutions for the entire battery life cycle — a critical step as we develop a preeminent network for li-ion battery collection in the U.S.”
In a separate announcement, Blue Whale Materials appointed Danny Marshall, a leader in battery testing and evaluation, as Lead Engineer of Testing and Evaluation at BW Energy and Innovation. Marshall joins the new company from the Battery Innovation Center, a leading non-profit organization focused on the development, testing and commercialization of energy storage systems. His extensive experience in this dynamic field enables BW Energy and Innovation to offer customers valuable insights and solutions in the growing battery testing and evaluation industry while also providing an in-house feedback loop to complement BWM’s recycling and lifecycle services.
"We are excited to have Danny on board to help lead our testing and evaluation efforts," said Kang. "His expertise will be invaluable as we continue to expand our offerings and provide our customers with the best possible solutions."
About Blue Whale Materials
Blue Whale Materials is building state-of-the-art li-ion recycling plants in the U.S. using proprietary, leading-edge technology that has been validated at a commercial scale in Asia. BWM’s sustainable process takes spent li-ion batteries and produces Blacksand™, a premium recycled product containing cobalt, nickel and lithium. Ultimately, this technology contributes to a more cost-efficient, sustainable and secure domestic supply of these critical minerals and reduces reliance on mining abroad.
Blue Whale Materials is a portfolio company of Ara Partners, a private equity firm specializing in industrial decarbonization investments. Ara Partners invests in the industrial & manufacturing, chemicals & materials, energy efficiency & green fuels and food & agriculture sectors, seeking to build businesses that provide significant decarbonization impact.
For more information about Blue Whale Materials, please visit its website here.
For more information on Ara Partners, please visit its website here.
About ECLIPSE ENERGY
Founded in 2011, Eclipse Energy supports everyday energy needs with the ability to test and validate batteries, ranging anywhere from an alkaline AAA battery to lithium cells and modules in EV’s and hybrids. Its board, management and engineering staff have over 100 years of accumulated battery engineering and testing experience and support clients via validation planning and project management, battery integration and maintenance, recycling and second-life solutions and more. Eclipse is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025.
To learn more about Eclipse Energy, please visit its website here.