Nevada Lithium Hub Hits 93% Design as Construction Speeds Up
Lithium Americas is making significant construction progress at its Thacker Pass lithium project in Northern Nevada, with the development representing one of the largest mining construction projects currently underway in the US.
The Canadian mining corporation has released its Full Year 2025 results, highlighting substantial advancement across the site as it works towards bringing industrial-scale lithium production online.
The project could play a vital role in strengthening America's critical minerals supply chain, with the facility designed to extract lithium from one of the world's largest known reserves.
The development aims to reduce US dependence on foreign lithium sources whilst creating substantial construction and operational employment opportunities in the region.
Lithium extracted from Thacker Pass will serve as a critical component in lithium-ion batteries, which power electric vehicles and increasingly electrified construction equipment. As the construction and mining sectors transition towards lower-emission machinery, demand for domestically sourced battery-grade lithium continues to grow.
The material is essential for battery cathodes, with each electric vehicle requiring approximately 8-10 kg of lithium carbonate equivalent, highlighting the strategic importance of large-scale production facilities like Thacker Pass.
Engineering and procurement advance towards completion
The Thacker Pass construction programme is progressing at pace, with detailed engineering design reaching 93% completion by the end of FY2025. This engineering milestone represents thousands of technical drawings, specifications and construction documents that guide the physical build-out of processing facilities, infrastructure and support systems across the site.
Procurement activities have advanced to 60% complete, with long-lead equipment awarded in Q4 2024 now being fabricated and expected for delivery throughout the second half of 2026.
These long-lead items include specialised processing equipment, electrical systems and materials handling infrastructure that require extended manufacturing timeframes.
According to the company, more than 60% of the structural steel required for the project, sourced from the UAE, is currently in transit or has already arrived on site.
This represents a significant logistics operation supporting the construction timeline, with steel components transported across multiple continents before final assembly in Northern Nevada.
The project capitalised US$982.8m in construction costs and other project-related expenditure during Q4 2025 alone. For fiscal year 2026, Lithium Americas is targeting a total capital expenditure range of US$1.3bn to US$1.6bn for Thacker Pass Phase One, with mechanical completion scheduled for late 2027.
"Construction at Thacker Pass is progressing rapidly, with safety as our highest priority," explains Jonathan Evans, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lithium Americas.
"Peak construction activity is expected in 2026, and our workforce continues to expand, with approximately 1,800 skilled craftspeople anticipated on site by late 2026."
Construction methodology and site development
The construction workforce has grown substantially throughout 2025, with approximately 950 people working on site by the end of the fiscal year. This included 740 manual craft workers and 210 additional site personnel supporting the construction operations.
The scale of construction activities spans multiple disciplines, including civil works, structural steel erection, mechanical equipment installation, electrical systems integration and piping fabrication.
Coordinating these concurrent activities across the remote Northern Nevada site presents significant logistical challenges, requiring careful planning of material deliveries, equipment staging areas and workforce accommodation.
This workforce is expected to nearly double as construction activities intensify, reaching approximately 1,800 staff by late 2026 during peak construction periods. Managing this workforce expansion requires substantial infrastructure investment, including accommodation facilities, catering services, transportation logistics and on-site welfare provisions.
The project has also contributed to community infrastructure, with Lithium Americas making a US$14.1m contribution towards funding construction of a new Orovada K-8 school.
Major construction milestones completed during the period include the first phase of the Workforce Hub, which provides accommodation and facilities for the expanding construction team. This infrastructure investment could prove crucial in maintaining the project schedule as workforce requirements increase throughout 2026.
Site logistics operations include managing the delivery and storage of thousands of tonnes of construction materials, coordinating specialist subcontractor activities and maintaining construction equipment fleets across the expansive project footprint.
Financial position strengthens project delivery
Lithium Americas reports approximately US$905.6m in total cash and restricted cash as of 31 December 2025, including US$412.6m within the Thacker Pass joint venture. The company's financial position was strengthened through funds drawn under a US$2.23bn Department of Energy loan, with a second drawdown completed in February 2026.
"2025 marked a transformative year for Thacker Pass. Construction is advancing at full pace, and we are carrying that strong momentum into 2026," Jonathan adds.
"We are grateful for the continued support of the US Administration and the Department of Energy. With the second loan drawdown in February 2026, we have meaningfully de-risked the Project and reinforced our path forward."
The company's net loss increased from US$42.6m in 2024 to US$86.3m in 2025, primarily due to higher general and administrative expenses resulting from increased hiring, professional fees and office costs associated with the ongoing construction programme.
According to Lithium Americas, total assets increased throughout the year due to cash and restricted cash received from various funding sources, alongside increases in mineral properties, plant and equipment values as construction activities progressed.
The development comes as US lithium production currently accounts for less than 1% of global supply, highlighting the potential strategic importance of projects like Thacker Pass for domestic critical minerals supply chains.
"We remain on track for mechanical completion of Phase 1 in late 2027, positioning Thacker Pass to play a central role in securing America's energy and national security future," Jonathan says.
"Together with our partners, we are advancing energy independence, strengthening domestic supply chains and building a more resilient future."
