American Battery Technology Co. (ABTC), an integrated critical battery materials company that is commercializing both its primary minerals manufacturing and secondary minerals lithium-ion battery recycling technologies, has received a $57 million contract award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for a multi-year project to design, construct, and operate its first-of-kind commercial-scale lithium hydroxide manufacturing facility in Tonopah, Nevada.
The receiving of this grant contract award marks a major milestone in the commercialization of ABTC’s Tonopah Flats Lithium Project, which is designed to provide commercial-scale quantities of low-cost, low environmental impact, domestic critical mineral lithium hydroxide needed for the U.S. clean energy transition. Based on a recent third-party audited SK-1300-compliant Inferred* Resource Report, the Tonopah Flats Lithium Project is one of the largest known lithium resources in the United States, containing approximately 15.8 million tons of economically accessible lithium on a carbonate equivalent basis.
This project engages several world-class partners, including DuPont Water Solutions, the University of Nevada, Reno, and Argonne National Laboratory to support the commercialization of this next generation facility for the manufacturing of low-cost, low-environmental impact, and domestically produced critical battery minerals.
ABTC has already engaged one of the premier global construction firms, Black & Veatch, for the engineering, procurement, and construction of this commercial-scale lithium hydroxide refinery based on ABTC’s internally-developed, first-of-kind processing techniques.
This competitive federal grant was established through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which included the Battery Material Processing and Component Manufacturing Act, sponsored by U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto of Nevada.
In line with Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo’s five-year economic plan, ABTC’s efforts to secure a sustainable, domestic supply of battery-grade lithium hydroxide aims to support the development of local permanent jobs, infrastructure improvements, and educational opportunities. By leveraging resources and expertise of collaborating grant partners, like the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and the University of Nevada, Reno, the project has the potential to create over 150 new skilled regional jobs and foster local community-driven betterment through an environment and equity focused micro-grants program.