Construction activity is accelerating at the Thacker Pass lithium mine in northern Nevada, where Lithium Americas Corp. is scaling up operations to support one of the largest domestic lithium projects in the United States.
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Located near Orovada in Humboldt County, the site has already reached approximately 900 construction workers as of mid-March, with staffing expected to climb to nearly 1,800 at peak activity later this year.
Work at the expansive mine site—spanning roughly nine square miles—is moving steadily forward, with early-stage infrastructure now about 10% to 20% complete. The project remains on track to begin producing lithium carbonate within the next few years, positioning it as a critical component of the U.S. battery supply chain.
“We are on schedule to be done by the end of 2027,” said Tim Crowley, vice president of government and external affairs at Lithium Americas.
The project is being executed with support from major contractors, including Bechtel, which is overseeing infrastructure development across approximately 6,000 acres designated for processing and refining facilities.
Construction at Thacker Pass is as much a logistical undertaking as it is an engineering one. Large-scale procurement and delivery operations are underway, with more than 100 oversized shipments scheduled to arrive in the coming months.
“None of it has been easy,” Crowley said. “For this project to go smoothly, it takes a tremendous amount of procurement staff, and everybody is thinking about every detail – all of which is subject to change. We have more than 100 heavy wide-load shipments coming into the site in the next few months.”
Transporting this equipment often requires temporary closures along Highway 95, coordinated with state authorities to ensure safety and traffic flow.
Among the major components already delivered is a Siemens turbine—an essential piece of equipment expected to generate up to 50% of the project’s power needs.
“That’s a big deal, because if we were to order a turbine today – it comes from Germany – it would take about three years to get here,” Crowley said. “We have been very thoughtful about ordering the big-ticket items we have to have, and in some cases we started doing that at-risk before we closed on our loans.”
The workforce at Thacker Pass is rapidly expanding, with nearly 1,000 workers currently active on-site and hiring continuing across multiple roles. The project team anticipates a surge in demand for skilled trades, particularly electricians, as systems become more automated.
“It is an incredible puzzle to put together,” Crowley said. “We soon will have a tremendous need for electricians since all the processes are automated and contain sophisticated electrical controls.”
Once operational, the mine is expected to support approximately 350 permanent jobs, with many employees likely to reside in nearby communities such as Winnemucca.
The nearly $3 billion project is backed by a mix of public and private funding sources. Support includes a $2.23 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy, along with significant investment from General Motors, which holds a major equity stake in the project.
“We wouldn't be here without the DOE and GM,” Crowley said.
Additional funding has come from Orion Resource Partners and Lithium Americas’ shareholders, reflecting strong investor interest in domestic battery materials production.
Crowley noted that federal participation has strengthened confidence in the project’s long-term viability.
“They are our partner, and we benefitted from (them),” he said.
The Thacker Pass mine is positioned as a cornerstone of the nation’s push to build a domestic lithium supply chain, reducing reliance on foreign sources for critical battery materials.
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As construction progresses, the scale and complexity of the project continue to grow, requiring close coordination between contractors, suppliers and government agencies.
“We are delivering,” Crowley said. “This is a 100-year project, and we are delivering on the things we have promised.”
Lithium is a key component in electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy storage systems. With demand expected to surge in the coming decade, projects like Thacker Pass are seen as essential to supporting U.S. manufacturing and energy independence.
Beyond its economic impact, the project is also expected to reshape the local workforce landscape, creating both short-term construction jobs and long-term operational roles in a region historically tied to mining and resource development.
As construction ramps up through 2026 and beyond, Thacker Pass stands as one of the most closely watched energy infrastructure projects in the country—both for its scale and its strategic importance.
Originally reported by Rob Sabo in Nevada Appeal.
