MIDLAND, TX / ACCESS Newswire / October 26, 2026 / Waste Energy Corp. (OTCID:WAST) ("Waste Energy," "WEC" or the "Company"), an emerging waste-to-energy and environmental infrastructure company, today provided shareholders with an update on the significant progress made over the past several months at its Midland, Texas waste conversion campus, announcing the successful completion of its fifth and final major crane day for the buildout of the Company's first waste conversion system, Waste Energy #1 ("WE #1").

With the major components of WE #1 now set in place, Waste Energy estimates that the system buildout is approximately 85-90% complete. The Company is now entering the final stage of construction, focused primarily on connecting the system, completing remaining piping and ground-level work, and preparing WE #1 for testing and commissioning.

Waste Energy is targeting December 1, 2026 for WE #1 to be fully operational, subject to safe and successful completion of the remaining construction, integration and testing work.

"This is a milestone our entire team has worked incredibly hard to reach," said Scott Gallagher, Chairman and CEO of Waste Energy Corp. "Over the past several months, our shareholders have watched WE #1 go from a group of individual pieces of equipment on the ground in Midland to an integrated waste conversion system that is now approximately 85 to 90 percent complete. Five major crane days are behind us. Much of the welding is done and the large components are mostly connected and in place. From here, the work increasingly moves to ground level as we connect the system and prepare it for testing."

The Final Leg of the Build Begins

Waste Energy's engineering, welding and construction teams continue to work on the ground in Midland completing the remaining mechanical and infrastructure work required to bring WE #1 online.

The Company believes the work completed over the past several months has substantially reduced the physical construction remaining before commissioning can begin.

"We can finally see the finish line," Gallagher continued. "There is still important work ahead of us, and we intend to finish it correctly, but this is no longer a collection of components waiting to become a waste conversion system. WE #1 is built. Now we connect it, test it and bring it to life."

From a Four-Acre Site to a 12.5-Acre Waste Infrastructure Campus

The progress on WE #1 comes during a period of significant transformation for Waste Energy's Midland operations.

Over the past month, the Company has expanded its Midland footprint from approximately four acres to approximately 12.5 acres, increased its total shop space to approximately 12,500 square feet, continued expanding waste tire intake and processing activities, launched WasteTires.com as a digital gateway for legal waste tire disposal, and advanced construction of WE #1 toward completion.

In preparation for WE #1 Coming online, Waste Energy has also increased its waste tire intake capacity and is beginning to drive increased revenue from tire intake and processing activities at the Midland facility. The Company intends to continue expanding tire volumes as it builds the inventory and processing infrastructure necessary to support WE #1 and the broader Midland campus. Importantly, these activities provide Waste Energy with an opportunity to generate revenue from the waste stream as tires enter the facility, before those materials are ultimately processed and converted through the Company's expanding infrastructure.

Together, these milestones represent the continued development of Waste Energy's strategy to build an integrated waste tire processing and conversion platform in the heart of the Permian Basin.

Waste Energy's objective is to address a massive and persistent waste tire problem by building the infrastructure necessary to collect, process and ultimately convert waste tires into potentially useful commodities.

"We started with a piece of raw land, a plan and a belief that there was a better way to deal with this enormous waste stream," Gallagher said. "Today we have 12.5 acres, 12,500 square feet of shop space, growing tire processing operations and our first waste conversion system approaching completion. We have accomplished a tremendous amount in a relatively short period of time, and I am incredibly proud of the people who have helped us get here."

Watch: The Build of WE #1

To give shareholders a closer look at the work behind the Company's first waste conversion system, Waste Energy has released a new video, "The Build of WE #1," documenting the construction and progress of the project.

The video takes shareholders behind the scenes of the build and provides a visual look at the equipment, crane work, welding, construction and people involved in bringing Waste Energy #1 together.

Watch "The Build of WE #1":
https://www.wec.eco/the-build

The Company expects to produce a second chapter following completion and commissioning of WE #1.

The Next Chapter: Operations

As WE #1 enters its final stage of construction, Waste Energy's focus is increasingly shifting from building infrastructure to operating infrastructure.

The Company believes bringing its first waste conversion system online will represent one of the most important milestones in Waste Energy's development and establish the foundation from which it can begin demonstrating its waste conversion model at commercial scale.

"For everyone who has followed this journey, supported this Company and watched us build WE #1 piece by piece, we want to say thank you," Gallagher concluded. "We are closer today than we have ever been.

"Our mission has never changed. We are here to do our part to solve a massive waste tire problem, build a great business and make the Permian Basin a better place to live and work. The infrastructure is taking shape, the team is on the ground and WE #1 is nearing completion. The build is almost finished. The next chapter is operations."

About Waste Energy Corp.

Waste Energy Corp. (OTCID: WAST) is an emerging waste-to-energy and environmental infrastructure company focused on developing scalable solutions for the processing, recycling and conversion of waste materials. Through its subsidiary Energy Works, Inc., the Company is developing its flagship waste conversion campus in Midland, Texas, with an initial focus on waste tires and the recovery of commercially usable products through thermal conversion technologies.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding the anticipated completion, testing, commissioning and operation of WE #1; the Company's December 1, 2026 operational-readiness target; remaining construction and integration activities; future waste tire intake, processing and conversion activities; commercial operations; revenue generation; recovery and commercialization of products derived from waste tires; and the Company's broader growth strategy. These statements are based on current expectations, plans and assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. There can be no assurance that remaining construction, testing or commissioning activities will be completed within the anticipated timeframe, that WE #1 will become fully operational by December 1, 2026, or that anticipated operating, processing, conversion or revenue milestones will be achieved. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Waste Energy Corp. undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law.

Investor Relations Contact:

Waste Energy Corp.
Investor Relations Email: IR@wec.eco
Website: www.wec.eco / www.WasteTires.com

SOURCE: Waste Energy Corp.