Lithium Americas began construction at the Thacker Pass project in Nevada, USA after receiving a notice to proceed from the United States Bureau of Land Management (US BLM). 

Contracts for major earthworks at the project have been awarded, including the engineering, procurement and construction management contract (EPCM) which was secured by Bechtel in January 2023.  The US BLM approval follows on from a US District Court of Nevada ruling in February, which dismissed an appeal against the US BLMs earlier awarding of a federal permit for the Thacker Pass project. 

The Thacker Pass project is scheduled for the commissioning of phase 1 operations in H2 2026, which would bring 40ktpy lithium carbonate capacity online. A phase 2 expansion is already planned for the project which would double the capacity to 80ktpy lithium carbonate.  Commissioning of the Thacker Pass project is expected to complement Lithium Americas, 40ktpy Lithium carbonate Cauchari-Olaroz lithium brine project in Argentina, scheduled for first production in H1 2023.   

As a project targeting lithium clays, Thacker Pass has historically received scepticism given there are no lithium clay operations currently in commercial scale production.  The progression through the permitting and financing stages will bring greater certainty that other lithium clay projects could reach the same stages of development, particularly within the state of Nevada where several projects are located.  Despite the geographical similarities, metallurgical test work undertaken by Lithium Americas at Thacker Pass project is unlikely to be a panacea for all Nevadan clay projects, with all projects possessing unique chemical and physical characteristics.