Lyten, the supermaterial applications company and lithium-sulfur battery manufacturer, has announced a plan to invest over $1 billion to build the world’s first lithium-sulfur battery gigafactory.
The facility is being planned to be established near Reno, Nevada in the United States.
Lyten has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Dermody Properties to locate the facility on land owned by the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority.
It will manufacture cathode active materials and lithium metal anodes and assemble lithium-sulfur cells, enabling a 100% domestically manufactured battery, according to a press release by the company.
At its maximum the facility will have the capability to produce up to 10 GWh of batteries annually.
World’s first lithium-sulfur battery gigafactory
Lyten is planning to complete phase 1 of the battery gigafactory and make it come online by 2027.
The planned 1.25 million square foot facility, located on a 125-acre campus in the Reno AirLogistics Park, initially will employ 200 people, growing to more than 1,000 at full capacity, including researchers, manufacturing engineers, battery engineers, technicians, and operators, in addition to administrative and support personnel.
Lyten is working with Dermody Properties and the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority to finalize contractual terms to support breaking ground in early 2025.
The company is also working closely with local universities, such as the University of Nevada-Reno (UNR) and Truckee Meadows Community College, and the Nevada Native American and Tribal members to foster the training and talent required to scale the gigafactory’s operations.
The lithium-sulfur battery cells produced by the Nevada facility will be fully compliant with the Inflation Reduction Act, National Defense Appropriations Act (NDAA), and will not be subject to Section 301 tariffs.
As of now, the company has been manufacturing cathode active materials (CAM) and lithium metal anodes and assembling batteries at its semi-automated pilot facility in San Jose, California. The facility has been operational since May 2023.
Locally sourced materials for production
According to the company’s press release, its Lithium-Sulfur cells feature high energy density, which will enable them to be up to 40% lighter weight than lithium-ion and 60% lighter weight than lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.
The company also states that its cells are fully manufactured in the US, and they are composed of materials that are found in abundance locally. This eliminates the need for the mined minerals nickel, cobalt, manganese, and graphite.
The use of low cost, local materials also makes Lyten’s lithium-sulfur a lower cost battery than lithium-ion at scale, as per the company’s claims.
Its batteries are entering the micromobility, space, drone, and defense markets in 2024 and 2025. With this planned gigafactory, Lyten aims to meet the growing demands of its customers.
“Today is the latest milestone in Lyten’s nine-year history. Lithium-sulfur is a leap in battery technology, delivering a high energy density, light weight battery built with abundantly available local materials and 100 percent U.S. manufacturing,” stated Dan Cook, Lyten Co-Founder, and CEO.
Celina Mikolajczak, Lyten’s Chief Battery Technology Officer, added, “Nevada has been our preferred location from the start. We have continuously felt welcomed by the leaders of Reno and Washoe County. We need a talented, innovative workforce and this partnership will deliver just that.”
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