Lithium Americas receives $2.26B Thacker Pass project commitment from DOE

Lithium Americas (LAC) provided a construction plan update for its Thacker Pass lithium project located in Humboldt County, Nevada. Lithium Americas has received a conditional commitment from the U.S. Department of Energy, or DOE, for a $2.26B loan under the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing, or ATVM, Loan Program for financing the construction of the processing facilities at Thacker Pass, targeting to produce an initial 40,000 tons per year of battery grade lithium carbonate. The expected loan plus General Motors (GM) strategic investment are expected to provide the vast majority of the capital necessary to fund Phase 1. Site preparation for major earthworks has been completed, including all site clearing, commissioning a water supply system, site access improvements and site infrastructure. The company is currently focused on advancing detailed engineering, procurement and execution planning for the construction of Thacker Pass Phase 1. Detailed engineering is approximately 30% design complete to date, and the company plans to continue to increase the level of detailed engineering in advance of issuing full notice to proceed, or FNTP, which is expected in the second half of 2024. The company leased a parcel of land in the nearby City of Winnemucca for a transloading terminal to be used during operations, providing direct access to the mainline railroad and an interstate highway. The company and its engineering, procurement and construction management contractor, Bechtel, entered into a National Construction Agreement with North America’s Building Trades Union for construction of Thacker Pass. Estimated total capital cost for Phase 1 construction has been revised to $2.93B to reflect updated quantities and execution planning tied to increased engineering progress, use of union labor through a PLA for construction of Thacker Pass, development of an all-inclusive housing facility for construction workers, updated equipment pricing and a larger project contingency. During the year ended December 31, 2023, approximately $194M was spent on Thacker Pass. The company expects capital expenditures to be significantly lower in the first half of 2024 as the focus turns from early works to advancing detailed engineering and project planning ahead of FNTP. Mechanical completion of Thacker Pass Phase 1 is targeted for 2027 following a three-year construction period. Major construction is expected to commence in the second half of 2024 following the anticipated closing of the DOE Loan and issuance of FNTP. In light of current market conditions and to preserve liquidity, the company has reduced project capital expenditures to minimal levels until closing of the DOE Loan and issuance of FNTP, which are expected in the second half of the year. In addition, the company has taken actions to reduce its general and administrative and operating expense budget for 2024 by more than 25%.