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Lyten’s Nevada Battery Gigafactory Is a $1B Vote of Confidence in Lithium-SulfurLyten’s Nevada Battery Gigafactory Is a $1B Vote of Confidence in Lithium-Sulfur

Facility to manufacture cathode materials, lithium anodes, and fully assembled battery cells with fewer rare metals.

Michael C. Anderson, Editor-in-Chief, Battery Technology

October 16, 2024

3 Min Read
Rendering of Lyten's coming gigafactory
Rendering of the 1.25 million square foot gigafactory coming to Reno AirLogistics Park.LYTEN

Lyten, the supermaterial applications company and developer of lithium-sulfur batteries, has announced plans to build the world’s first lithium-sulfur battery gigafactory near Reno, Nevada. The project is part of a $1 billion investment aimed at expanding domestic battery manufacturing capabilities.

At full capacity, the facility will produce up to 10 GWh of lithium-sulfur batteries annually, offering a significant increase in U.S.-based battery production. The company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Dermody Properties, securing land from the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority for the factory site. The location, situated in the Reno AirLogistics Park, will span 125 acres and include a 1.25 million square foot facility.

Manufacturing and job creation

Lyten's facility will be vertically integrated, manufacturing cathode active materials (CAM), lithium metal anodes, and assembling lithium-sulfur battery cells in both cylindrical and pouch formats. This approach will enable the company to produce 100% domestically manufactured battery cells, ensuring compliance with U.S. legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act and the National Defense Appropriations Act (NDAA). The factory’s production processes will avoid reliance on minerals like nickel, cobalt, and manganese, which are typically used in lithium-ion batteries, and instead, leverage more readily available materials.

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Phase 1 of the facility is expected to come online in 2027, initially creating 200 jobs in northern Nevada’s economy. As operations ramp up, the workforce is projected to grow to over 1,000, with roles ranging from research and engineering to manufacturing and administrative positions.

Strategic demand and market entry

Lyten’s lithium-sulfur technology is positioned to disrupt several markets. Compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries, Lyten’s cells promise higher energy density and lower weight, offering up to a 40% weight reduction compared to lithium-ion and a 60% reduction compared to lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. These characteristics are key to the company’s strategy as it enters the micromobility, space, drone, and defense sectors between 2024 and 2025.

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The company has been operating a semi-automated pilot facility in San Jose, CA, since May 2023, where it has manufactured CAM and lithium metal anodes while assembling prototype batteries. The new Nevada plant will enable Lyten to meet growing demand from its pipeline of hundreds of potential customers.

Collaborations and community engagement

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Lyten is working closely with local institutions such as the University of Nevada-Reno and Truckee Meadows Community College to support workforce development. In addition, the company is engaging with the Nevada Native American and Tribal communities as part of its broader strategy to integrate the factory into the local economy.

Lyten expects to break ground on the facility in early 2025, pending finalization of contractual terms with Dermody Properties and the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority.

Lyten in Battery Technology

The company, which was founded in 2015, calls itself a “supermaterial applications company.” It has received more than $425 million in investment from companies including Stellantis, FedEx, Honeywell, Walbridge, the European Investment Fund, and the Luxembourg Future Fund.

Lyten caught our attention in February as the provider of the battery of the Chrysler Halcyon concept car, built on the Stellantis SLA Large EV platform and powered by Lyten’s 800-volt lithium-sulfur EV battery that doesn’t use nickel, cobalt, or manganese. As we reported, the absence of nickel or cobalt frees the battery from supply chain risks and environmentally unsound mining issues associated with nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) oxide materials. Lyten’s lithium-sulfur battery uses the company’s proprietary “tunable” 3D graphene, which it says is “orders of magnitude more chemically and electrically reactive” than 2-dimensional graphene.

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In September, Lyten announced that its lithium-sulfur cells were scheduled for a trip to the International Space Station (ISS) for testing under rigorous conditions, including launch, orbital operation, and recovery, to determine their viability for use in satellites, space suits, and extravehicular activities (EVA). The testing is funded by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), the Department of Defense’s innovation hub. space applications.

About the Author

Michael C. Anderson

Editor-in-Chief, Battery Technology, Informa Markets - Engineering

Battery Technology Editor-in-Chief Michael C. Anderson has been covering manufacturing and transportation technology developments for more than a quarter-century, with editor roles at Manufacturing Engineering, Cutting Tool Engineering, Automotive Design & Production, and Smart Manufacturing. Before all of that, he taught English and literature at colleges in Japan and Michigan.

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