Roca Water, Inc. received a $3.7M cooperative agreement from the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E, CFDA 81.135) to develop and commercialize innovative electrochemical technologies for selective ion recovery from wastewater. The three-year project, awarded June 8, 2026, and concluding June 7, 2029, focuses on optimizing and scaling ammonium recovery electrodes (NIHCF electrodes) for real wastewater applications, while simultaneously discovering and fabricating magnesium-selective electrodes through computational screening and experimental synthesis. Work performed in Alameda, California will integrate these dual-ion recovery modules into a market-ready prototype system.
In parallel with technology development, the awardee will conduct techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) to benchmark operational costs, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions of the integrated system. This approach aligns with ARPA-E's mission to fund high-impact energy technologies addressing climate change mitigation and critical mineral independence by enabling recovery of valuable nutrients and materials from wastewater streams through novel electrochemical pathways.