Lyten to build the world’s first lithium-sulfur battery gigafactory

The facility will be located in Reno, Nevada, and will have the capacity to produce up to 10 GWh of batteries annually once fully operational.

Phase 1 is slated to launch production in 2027. Lyten's plant will produce cathode active materials (CAM) and lithium metal anodes, and complete assembly of lithium-sulfur battery cells – in cylindrical and pouch formats. Since May 2023, Lyten has been manufacturing CAM, lithium metal anodes, and assembling batteries at its semi-automated pilot facility in San Jose, California.

“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 in a press release.

Celina Mikolajczak, Lyten's Chief Battery Technology Officer, adds “Nevada has been our preferred location from the start. We have continuously felt welcomed by the leaders of Reno and Washoe County. We need a talented, innovative workforce and this partnership will deliver just that.”

Lyten's Lithium-Sulfur cells feature high energy density, which the company says 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 US and utilise abundantly available local materials, eliminating the need for the mined minerals nickel, cobalt, manganese, and graphite. The company states in the press release that the use of low-cost, local materials makes its lithium-sulfur a lower-cost battery than lithium-ion at scale.

Lyten’s batteries are entering the micromobility, space, drone, and defense markets in 2024 and 2025. The company claims to already have a pipeline of hundreds of potential customers, and the Nevada gigafactory is part of Lyten’s strategy to meet this growing demand.

Lyten is working to finalise 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, and National Defense Appropriations Act (NDAA), and will not be subject to Section 301 tariffs.