Lyten building lithium-sulfur battery ‘gigafactory’ in Reno

Oct 16, 2024

A Silicon Valley startup is building its own “gigafactory” — the world’s first large-scale lithium-sulfur battery facility — in the Biggest Little City.

San Jose-based Lyten announced on Tuesday that it will invest more than $1 billion on a 1.25 million-square-foot lithium-sulfur battery factory in Reno. The project will be built on a 125-acre campus at Reno AirLogistics Park in Stead.

As part of the project, Lyten inked a deal with Dermody Properties to build the facility on land owned by the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority. The airport authority has about 3,000 acres of developable land by Reno Stead Airport.

The Lyten facility will allow for the production of a domestically manufactured battery by manufacturing cathode active materials and lithium metal anodes and also assembling lithium-sulfur cells.

“Lithium-sulfur is a leap in battery technology, delivering a high energy density, lightweight battery built with abundantly available local materials and 100% U.S. manufacturing,” said Dan Cook, Lyten co-founder and CEO, in a statement.

Lyten is the latest addition to Nevada’s “lithium loop” — an ecosystem where battery materials are sourced, assembled and recycled within the state.

The Nevada lithium loop is seen as a key economic driver for the state and was named by the Biden Administration as one of 31 regional tech hubs in the United States. Lyten partners include the University of Nevada, Reno and Truckee Meadows Community College, which will help provide training and talent for staffing the battery facility.

“This is welcome news for Northern Nevada as we continue to grow every sector of the lithium economy and establish our region as the ideal location for the nation’s electrification needs,” said UNR President Brian Sandoval in a statement.

“Lyten’s technology is cutting-edge, and from the very beginning, has been at the forefront of our effort to catalyze this important economic sector through a circular materials and manufacturing loop.”

Lyten also cited the region’s qualified workforce as a key reason why it picked Northern Nevada.

Once built, the facility will manufacture up to 10 gigawatt hours of lithium-sulfur batteries per year and employ 200 workers. Lyten plans to increase staffing to over 1,000 employees.

“Lyten’s decision to plant roots here in Nevada reflects the confidence in our state’s economic potential and we are excited about the anticipated high earning positions, workforce partnerships and community development that will follow,” said Tom Burns, executive director of the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

Economic development incentives have yet to be approved for the project. The lithium-sulfur battery cells manufactured at the Lyten facility will be fully compliant with the Inflation Reduction Act and National Defense Appropriations Act. They also will not be subject to Section 301 tariffs on imports from China.

Lyten plans to break ground on its Reno factory in early 2025. The company was founded in 2015.