Photo by: Lithium Americas
Name of the Project
Thacker Pass lithium project.
Location
Humboldt County, Nevada, in the US.
Project Owner/s
Lithium Americas.
Project Description
Lithium Americas aims to extract lithium at Thacker Pass from a large clay deposit, something that has never been done before at commercial scale.
The project is targeting 80 000 t/y of battery-quality lithium carbonate production capacity in two phases of 40 000 t/y each.
Thacker Pass will have a mine life of 40 years.
The mine is slated to be a key supplier to General Motors.
Potential Job Creation
The project is expected to create 1 000 jobs during construction and 500 jobs during operations.
Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has an after-tax net present value, at an 8% discount rate, of $4.95-billion and an internal rate of return of 21.2%.
Capital Expenditure
$2.2-billion.
Planned Start/End Date
Phase 1 production is expected to start in the second half of 2026. The project is expected to run at full capacity by 2028.
Latest Developments
Lithium Americas said on April 18 that it would raise $275-million to accelerate construction and development of the Thacker Pass lithium project – a month after the US unveiled plans to lend it $2.26-billion to build the project. The loan, announced in March, is a key part of US President Joe Biden’s administration's effort to reduce dependence on lithium supplies from China.
Lithium Americas will sell 55-million shares for $5 a share.
Lithium Americas said in a statement it would grant the underwriters of the public offering a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 8.3-million shares.
Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Aquatech International (magnesium sulphate and lithium carbonate chemical plants); Bechtel Corporation (engineering, procurement and construction management); EXP Global Inc (engineering, procurement, construction support, commissioning and startup services for the sulphuric acid plant).
Contact Details for Project Information
Lithium Americas, email info@lithiumamericas.com.