Lithium Americas and General Motors Holdings (GM) have entered into a new investment agreement to establish a joint venture (JV) for the purpose of funding, developing, constructing and operating the Thacker Pass lithium project in the US state of Nevada.

The JV transaction will deliver US$625 million of letters of credit (L/Cs) and cash from GM to Thacker Pass alongside a conditional commitment for a US$2.3 billion from the US department of energy (DOE).

Project overview

The Thacker Pass lithium project in Nevada, which contains one of the largest lithium reserves in the US, is expected to produce approximately 80,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate per year at full production capacity.

GM utilises lithium batteries across a diverse range of electric vehicles (EVs) and for renewable energy storage. These batteries are integral to the motor giant's commitment to an all-electric future.

Lithium Americas is a North American company focused on developing lithium projects to support the growing demand for EV batteries and renewable energy storage.

Investment agreement

Under the terms of the investment agreement, GM will acquire 38 per cent ownership stake in Thacker Pass for US$625 million in total cash and L/Cs, including US$430 million of direct cash funding to the JV to support the construction of Phase 2.

The agreement also includes a US$195 million L/C facility for GM that can be used as collateral to support reserve account requirements under the DOE loan.

The L/C facility provided by GM to the JV as part of its consideration for its equity interest will have no interest and a maturity consistent with DOE the loan requirement that will be withdrawn once replaced with cash that is generated by Thacker Pass.

Largest ever producer investment

The deal is the largest ever publicly announced investment by a US original equipment manufacturer in a lithium carbonate project.

This highlights the strategic importance of Thacker Pass in creating a domestic supply chain for critical minerals for producers such as GM that need secure a reliable and consistent supply of raw materials.

Beneficial partnership

Securing the US$625 million in cash and L/Cs, allows Lithium Americas to avoid common equity dilution which the company had previously contemplated.

The deal builds upon an already strong relationship Lithium Americas has had with GM as a strategic investor.

This article represents the views of the author and not necessarily those of the ICC or Coastline Solutions.