CB&I to build tanks for Nevada lithium production
Lithium Nevada, a subsidiary of Lithium Americas, recently contracted storage terminal builder CB&I to engineer, procure, fabricate, and construct 36 flat-bottom atmospheric tanks at Thacker Pass in northern Nevada’s Humboldt County.
Thacker Pass is the world’s largest known measured lithium resource (measured and indicated) and reserve (proven and probable). The new project will be managed by Bechtel, and engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) contractor, CB&I reported. As demand for lithium increases over the next decade, Thacker Pass will play a vital role in reducing U.S. reliance on foreign critical minerals and creating a secure domestic lithium battery supply chain.
The contract is worth between $50 million and $100 million, according to CB&I.
“We are proud to support Lithium Nevada and Bechtel in delivering a lithium project of national significance,” Mark Butts, CB&I president and CEO, said in a news release. “Thacker Pass will help enable a U.S. supply of lithium and create well-paying jobs during construction and operations.
“Our team is honored to contribute CB&I’s legacy of tank engineering and construction excellence to this important project.”
The atmospheric storage tanks produced by CB&I for the Thacker Pass lithium mine will store various process solutions, chemicals, and products that are used during the multiple stages of purification to extract lithium from clay deposits, CB&I said. These tanks, designed to meet stringent environmental, seismic, and safety requirements, will be constructed using CB&I’s proprietary field construction methods and state-of-the-art fabrication capabilities.
“CB&I’s expertise in large-scale storage infrastructure for complex industrial processes that require precise specifications and reliability makes them a great fit for Thacker Pass,” said Richard Gerspacher, Lithium Americas executive vice president for capital projects. “CB&I’s proven track record, global expertise, and experience with industrial storage solutions makes them an ideal partner for this critical infrastructure component to support North America’s largest lithium mining project.”