Bill Leonard
Our world's energy landscape is changing. Although there is debate as to how this change moves forward, it is a given that lithium mining plays a crucial role in reshaping the energy landscape.
Enabling renewable energy storage has emerged as a key priority for many countries worldwide. Lithium-ion batteries are essential for storing energy from renewable sources like solar and wind.
There is a growing demand for electric vehicles. The rapid shift toward electric vehicles is a significant driver of the increased demand for lithium. There is also this leading EV company named Tesla that has a Gigafactory based in our Reno neighborhood. As many know, lithium-ion batteries are the preferred choice for EV manufacturers due to their high energy density and longer lifespan. That leads to a surge in lithium extraction to meet this demand.
There is one international company out there with a footprint in Nevada actively working to meet our country's expanding domestic lithium production needs.
That company is Lithium Americas.
Lithium Americas owns 100% of the Thacker Pass project, roughly 60 miles north of Winnemucca in Humboldt County. The Thacker Pass region contains North America's largest known lithium deposit.
Lithium Americas has projects in both the USA and Argentina. Cauchari-Olaroz recently began production in northern Argentina and is the largest new brine operation in over 20 years. LA’s development in Nevada sits within an extinct supervolcano – the McDermitt Caldera. It's an unconventional source of lithium from a sedimentary deposit, which is basically a lithium-rich clay.
How did LA’s USA project come about? Lithium Americas merged with Western Lithium in 2015. The companies have worked on the Thacker Pass project for over a decade. The focus has been exploration, stakeholder engagement, project design, environmental and cultural analyses, and permitting.
The Bureau of Land Management approved the $2.3 billion mine project in early 2021. Thacker Pass has received all major federal and state permits to proceed with the project. Early works construction began in March. The full buildout of phase one will take approximately 30 months. Production of battery-grade lithium carbonate is targeted for late 2026. That is not to say that efforts by environmental and tribal groups to block the project have gone away.
Why did Lithium Americas select Reno for its centralized offices? Simply because Reno is the closest major city to the Thacker Pass project. Reno also affords excellent access to the services the company needs.
A partnership with the University of Nevada helps LA minimize its carbon footprint and operate as efficiently as possible. Once in production in late 2026, Lithium Americas will employ approximately 350 full-time people at the Thacker Pass project. Construction of the project will require more than 1,000 skilled contractors.
Little known fact. General Motors is Lithium Americas' largest shareholder. GM will purchase all lithium carbonate for at least the first 10 years of production.
More little-known facts. Lithium Americas’ Thacker Pass project is the first lithium project to be permitted in the U.S. since the 1960s. More than 90% of lithium mining and processing currently comes from foreign sources.
What is the Lithium Americas team most proud of to date? First, the company has successfully undergone rigorous state and federal permitting and is moving forward with production. Second, the LA team is part of a nationwide effort for meaningful carbon reduction important for national security and reducing dependence on foreign sources for lithium.
Although the LA Thacker Pass project is extensive, even with a small footprint, it does not come without its set of challenges.
Construction must be done safely, responsibly, on budget, and on time. To make that happen, Lithium Americas has staffed up with some of the most exceptional construction leaders in the industry. LA has partnered with Bechtel, one of the world's most respected engineering, construction, and project management companies. The construction team rounds out with some of the best in the building trades and a talented local workforce.
Questions often get raised by any number of people. “Is it worth it?” “Do the environmental benefits outweigh the impacts of mining and processing lithium in the United States?”
It turns out it’s not an either-or proposition. Lithium Americas can and will produce lithium carbonate responsibly and furnish an essential material for carbon reduction. The Thacker Pass materials will be produced at a facility permitted and tightly regulated in Nevada, where the state and federal standards are some of the highest in the world.
Onshoring lithium mining and processing is essential for our country to fulfill its commitment to curb carbon emissions as a transition from internal combustion vehicles to electric vehicles moves forward.
Lithium Americas Thacker Pass project in Nevada is crucial to that transition.
Lithium Americas has a Lithium Development Tech Center in Reno, demonstrating state-of-the-art technology to mine lithium responsibly. NCET Tech Wednesday attendees on July 12 will have a rare opportunity to visit this exceptional and significantly scaled-down pilot plant version of the Thacker Pass project.
The number of attendees for this NCET event is very limited.
Sign up early for Lithium Americas’ presentation on July 12 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. with networking from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. During your visit, you will hear and learn about:
The history of how the Thacker Pass project was found and developed.
The chemistry that goes into converting lithium clays into battery-grade lithium chemicals.
So don't be late. Register now. Visit https://ncetevents.org.
Bill Leonard is VP of Communications at NCET and a freelance copywriter of conversion-driven customer case studies and white papers. Connect with Bill at Bill Leonard Creative and LinkedIn. NCET produces education and networking events to help people explore business and technology.
