Lyten announced plans to invest more than $1 billion to build the world’s first Lithium-Sulfur battery gigafactory. The facility will be located near Reno, Nevada, and will have the capability to produce up to 10 GWh of batteries annually at full scale. Phase 1 of the facility is scheduled to come online in 2027. Lyten’s factory will manufacture cathode active materials (CAM) and lithium metal anodes and complete assembly of lithium-sulfur battery cells in both cylindrical and pouch formats. Lyten has been manufacturing CAM and lithium metal anodes and assembling batteries at its semi-automated pilot facility in San Jose, Calif., since May 2023.
“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% U.S. manufacturing,” stated Dan Cook, Lyten Co-Founder and CEO.
Lyten’s Lithium-Sulfur cells feature high energy density, which will enable up to 40% lighter weight than lithium-ion and 60% lighter weight than lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. Lyten’s cells are fully manufactured in the U.S. and utilize abundantly available local materials, eliminating the need for the mined minerals nickel, cobalt, manganese, and graphite. Lyten’s use of low cost, local materials make Lyten lithium-sulfur a lower cost battery than lithium-ion at scale.
Lyten’s lithium-sulfur batteries are entering the micromobility, space, drone, and defense markets in 2024 and 2025. Lyten already has a pipeline of hundreds of potential customers, and the Nevada gigafactory is part of Lyten’s strategy to meet this growing demand.
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 has signed an MOU with industrial developer Dermody Properties to locate the facility on land owned by the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority.
Lyten is working closely with local universities, including 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 that will be required to scale Lyten’s gigafactory operations.
Lyten is working with Dermody Properties and the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority to finalize contractual terms to support breaking ground in early 2025. The Nevada factory will produce lithium-sulfur battery cells that are fully compliant with the Inflation Reduction Act, National Defense Appropriations Act (NDAA), and will not be subject to Section 301 tariffs.
