EDG Selected to Support Lithium Americas in Shaping the Digital Future of Thacker Pass

HOUSTON, TEXAS, USA / 08 April 2025 / EDG announces they have been selected to support Lithium Americas with Thacker Pass

EDG, Inc. has announced it has entered into a multi-year agreement upon being selected by Lithium Americas Corp. (TSX: LAC) (NYSE: LAC) as the Main Automation Contractor (MAC) in support of Lithium Americas’ development of Thacker Pass to support the development of a North American critical minerals supply chain.

Thacker Pass is expected to play a major role in the domestic production of lithium batteries and is backed by an offtake agreement with General Motors for up to 100% of Phase 1 Thacker Pass production, plus a 20-year offtake agreement for up to 38% of Phase 2 offtake, with a right of first offer for the remaining balance of Phase 2 production volumes. The joint commitment to developing this strategically significant lithium resource illustrates the importance of creating a robust North American-focused supply chain for critical raw materials.

For the past several years, EDG has served as a Project Management Consultant and Owner’s Engineering Team working directly for Lithium Americas on early phase project support and project engineering oversight. As Project Management Consultants, EDG brings specialized expertise, serving as LAC’s trusted technical advocate throughout the entire asset lifecycle. Their independent oversight will ensure that LAC’s vision and standards are maintained at every stage of development—from initial design through construction and into operations.

This new contract calls on EDG to complete the detailed engineering and design for the control systems and software that will run the Thacker Pass processing facilities.

Specifically, EDG automation experts, along with LAC engineers, are collaborating on the sophisticated control systems that will become the operational nervous system of the Thacker Pass processing facility. Together, the teams are mapping out how thousands of sensors, controllers, and automated processes will harmonize to create one of the most advanced lithium production facilities in North America. This initial work lays the groundwork for both the Distributed Control System and the training simulators that will ensure operational excellence from day one of operations.

Two (2) critical technological components in development are:

Operating Training Simulators (OTS): These advanced simulation systems will provide comprehensive training environments for control room operators, allowing them to master complex scenarios and emergency protocols in a risk-free virtual setting before the facility goes live; and
Distributed Control System (DCS) Programming: This sophisticated automation backbone will orchestrate the entire Thacker Pass plant, integrating countless sensors, controls, and operational parameters into a seamless, efficient system.

Mark House, EDG General Manager for Technology and Automation said, “We are proud to apply our multi-industry knowledge to select and deploy the latest technologies. We are thrilled to be involved in this important project to drive U.S. energy independence.”

Richard Gerspacher, Lithium Americas’ EVP for Capital Projects said, “EDG has played an important role advising on the use of various technologies for the project and will now support the team building sophisticated controls for our operations.”

Together, EDG and Lithium Americas are creating the digital foundation that will enable Thacker Pass to operate with safety, precision, and optimal efficiency for decades to come.

ABOUT EDG

EDG, Inc. is a full-service, global consulting firm providing cost-effective engineering, management, and project service solutions.

Founded in 1982, we are a privately held company working on projects around the world. We have firmly established ourselves as a leader in providing efficient, innovative, and complete solutions for the Chemicals, Oil and Gas, Power, and Industrial Markets. Employing 700-plus professionals, we are equipped to provide extensive engineering and management expertise for a wide range of projects. EDG has been exceeding our customers’ expectations for over four (4) decades.

For more information on EDG’s services or if you are interested in joining the EDG team, please visit www.edg.net or follow @EDG on LinkedIn.

ABOUT THACKER PASS 

Lithium was discovered at Thacker Pass in the 1970s through a permitted exploration effort by Chevron, which was looking for uranium. The uranium prospects were not advanced by Chevron, and the mineral claims were ultimately acquired by Western Lithium. In the early 2000s, Western Lithium explored the area extensively for an economically viable lithium deposit. They also permitted and operated a small clay mining operation. Lithium Americas merged with Western Lithium in 2015 and advanced the plans to permit and build a lithium mine and processing facility at Thacker Pass. Extensive stakeholder outreach has occurred and continues today. The project is fully permitted for construction by the State of Nevada. The federal government, led by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which manages the public land at Thacker Pass, also issued a Record of Decision (ROD) to proceed with construction in 2021. Thacker Pass commenced construction in early 2023 and is targeted for completion in late 2027.

ABOUT LITHIUM AMERICAS

Lithium Americas is committed to safely and responsibly developing the Thacker Pass project located in Humboldt County in northern Nevada, which hosts the largest known measured lithium resource (Measured and Indicated) and reserve (Proven and Probable) in the world. Thacker Pass is owned by a joint venture between Lithium Americas (holding a 62% interest and is the manager of the Project), and General Motors LLC (holding a 38% interest). The Company is focused on advancing Thacker Pass Phase 1 toward production, targeting nominal design capacity of 40,000 tonnes per year of battery-quality lithium carbonate. The Company and its EPCM contractor, Bechtel, entered into a National Construction Agreement (Project Labor Agreement) with North America’s Building Trades Unions for construction of Thacker Pass. The three-year construction build is expected to create nearly 2,000 direct jobs, including 1,800 skilled contractors. Lithium Americas’ shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LAC. To learn more, visit www.lithiumamericas.com or follow @LithiumAmericas on social media.

MEDIA CONTACT

EDG
Terese Takacs, Marketing and Communications
trtakacs@edg.net

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