Supermaterials trailblazer Lyten will make investments over $1 billion to construct the world’s first lithium-sulfur battery gigafactory in Reno, Nevada.
The brand new manufacturing unit will probably be able to producing as much as 10 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of batteries yearly as soon as it’s absolutely on-line. Section 1 (rendering pictured above) is ready to go stay in 2027.
The brand new gigafactory will produce each cathode lively supplies and lithium steel anodes, and it’ll assemble battery cells in cylindrical and pouch codecs. Lyten has already been engaged on this know-how at its pilot facility in San Jose, California, which has been on-line since Could 2023.
The Reno manufacturing unit is a part of Lyten’s plan to help its entry into the micromobility, house, drone, and protection markets beginning in 2024 and 2025. The corporate says it already has a sturdy pipeline of potential prospects, and it sees this new gigafactory as a vital step towards assembly rising demand.
Lyten’s gigafactory will cowl 1.25 million sq. toes on a 125-acre campus within the Reno AirLogistics Park. Initially, it can make use of round 200 folks, ultimately increasing to greater than 1,000 jobs. These positions will embody roles for researchers, engineers, technicians, and extra. The corporate plans to interrupt floor in early 2025.
Lyten can also be working carefully with the College of Nevada-Reno (UNR), Truckee Meadows Neighborhood Faculty, and Nevada Native American and Tribal members to develop a workforce pipeline. The purpose is to create native jobs and prepare a gifted workforce that may help the manufacturing unit’s superior manufacturing wants.
Neighborhood leaders are rightfully excited concerning the mission. UNR President Brian Sandoval famous that Lyten’s know-how performs a key position in northern Nevada’s rising lithium economic system. Native officers and academic leaders expressed their enthusiasm, highlighting the advantages to the neighborhood, workforce partnerships, and financial improvement.
In February 2024, Chrysler introduced the inclusion of Lyten’s lithium-sulfur batteries in its Halcyon idea EV. In Could, Lyten shipped lithium-sulfur batteries to Stellantis and different US and EU OEMs for testing. Lyten has obtained greater than $425 million in funding from corporations together with Stellantis, and the US Division of Vitality granted Lyten $4 million to speed up improvement.
Lyten’s CEO, Dan Prepare dinner, known as the Nevada gigafactory a major milestone for the corporate, describing lithium-sulfur as a “leap in battery know-how.” Lithium-sulfur batteries are as much as 40% lighter than lithium-ion batteries and use supplies which might be extra considerable within the US, not like conventional lithium-ion batteries that depend on imported minerals like nickel, cobalt, and graphite. Nevertheless, they nonetheless have challenges to deal with, akin to a shorter lifespan and fewer stability than lithium-ion batteries, earlier than they go mainstream.
Learn extra: Stellantis is about to check the first-ever production-line lithium-sulfur batteries
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