How ABB is Electrifying North America's Largest Lithium Mine

Lithium Americas has selected ABB as its electrification partner for the Thacker Pass mining project in Nevada, which sits atop North America's largest known measured and indicated lithium resource.

The partnership will see ABB roll out a comprehensive suite of electrification infrastructure to power the mine, which expects to produce 40,000 metric tonnes of lithium carbonate a year – sufficient to power batteries for approximately 800,000 electric vehicles.

ABB's involvement in the project will be observed eagerly by the sector at large. Mining is often categorised as a 'hard-to-abate' industry, where electrification and sustainability are more difficult to implement than in other lines of work.

Should the Thacker Pass project achieve a degree of workable sustainability it will serve as a touchstone for future sites.

How to electrify a heavy industry

For Thacker Pass, ABB will provide a huge range of its latest-generation technologies including switchgear, motor control centres, variable speed drives, auxiliary power distribution packages and a site-wide power management system.

These components will be then integrated within optimised electrical buildings designed for field deployment in remote, demanding environments.

The company will work alongside Lithium Americas and their engineering, procurement and construction management partner Bechtel to deliver the infrastructure across the full project lifecycle.

All systems will also be integrated with ABB's digital platforms to enable monitoring of energy use, asset health and operational productivity.

Creating a strong lithium supply chain in North America

The project forms part of efforts to establish a robust domestic lithium supply chain as demand for electric vehicles and energy storage systems continues to grow.

"This collaboration with ABB marks an important milestone in our journey to safely and responsibly produce lithium from Thacker Pass," says Richard Gerspacher, EVP Capital Projects at Lithium Americas.

"ABB's technology and expertise will support our efforts to deliver lithium for the US market, creating economic benefits for American workers, companies and communities."

The facility aims to begin operations with established efficiency, safety and sustainability protocols already in place, rather than retrofitting these systems later.

Creating a blueprint for sustainable mining

Björn Jonsson, Global Business Line Manager for Mining & Materials at ABB Process Industries, sees the project as "a blueprint for the future of mining – electrically and digitally optimised".

"We're proud to support Lithium Americas in building a resilient lithium supply chain for energy independence," he adds.

The collaboration aligns with ABB's eMine portfolio, which will support the transition to all-electric mining operations at Thacker Pass through  its integrated electrification, automation and digital systems.

What kind of technology will ABB use at the site?

ABB's scope encompasses full project management and engineered solutions from concept through to deployment readiness.

The company will deliver specialised electrical power distribution and digital power management systems housed in modular electrical buildings.

These compact systems integrate ABB's low and medium voltage technologies with digital power management capabilities designed to enhance safety, reliability and uptime.

The technologies are engineered specifically for durability and performance in remote operational environments where maintenance access may be limited.

The decarbonisation potential of the Thacker Pass project

The electrification approach is designed to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions whilst maintaining productivity levels at the facility.

ABB's technologies aim to improve energy efficiency and support mining companies in meeting sustainability targets without compromising operational output.

The partnership announcement comes as mining companies face increasing pressure to demonstrate progress on emissions reduction whilst scaling production to meet growing demand for battery materials.

Thacker Pass represents a test case for whether large-scale lithium operations can integrate advanced electrification systems from the outset rather than through gradual retrofitting of existing infrastructure.