US battery start-up Lyten is committing more than $1bn to build the world’s first large-scale factory to produce lithium sulphur batteries, an emerging technology that could help break US dependence on China for metals crucial for the energy transition.
The factory, located in Reno, Nevada, is expected to start production by 2027, the first target set for the commercialisation of a type of battery that could challenge the incumbent lithium ion. The battery does not rely on graphite, nickel, manganese, or cobalt — metals in which the vast majority of the world’s supply is controlled by Beijing.
Celina Mikolajczak, Lyten’s chief technology officer, told the Financial Times its battery chemistry offers the US the opportunity to reduce China’s monopoly. The company plans to reach 10 gigawatt hours of production by about 2032 at its Reno plant, producing batteries for drones, satellites and eventually, electric vehicles that can be powered for longer durations than their lithium-ion counterparts.