Lyten plans to invest over $1 billion to build the world’s first Lithium-Sulfur battery gigafactory.
The facility will be located near Reno, Nevada, with 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. The company reports that the 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.
Lyten’s Lithium-Sulfur cells feature high energy density, which the company reports will enable up to 40% lighter weight than lithium-ion and 60% lighter weight than lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. The cells are fully manufactured in the U.S. and use local materials, eliminating the need for mined minerals such as nickel, cobalt, manganese, and graphite. Lyten claims that the use of low-cost, local materials makes their lithium-sulfur batteries a lower-cost alternative to lithium-ion at scale.
The company reports that its 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 its 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. This includes researchers, manufacturing engineers, battery engineers, technicians, operators, and 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 collaborating with local universities, including the University of Nevada-Reno (UNR) and Truckee Meadows Community College, as well as Nevada Native American and Tribal members, to foster the training and talent required to scale its 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.
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