CB&I, a designer and builder of storage facilities and tanks, has been contracted by Lithium Nevada for the engineering, procurement, fabrication, and construction of 36 flat-bottom atmospheric tanks at the Thacker Pass lithium project in Nevada, US.  

As per CB&I, the contract is valued between $50m and $100m. 

The atmospheric storage tanks manufactured by CB&I will be used for the storage of a range of process solutions, chemicals, and products used during the purification stages to extract lithium from clay deposits.  

These tanks are engineered to comply with rigorous environmental, seismic, and safety standards, according to the company. They will be built using CB&I's proprietary field construction techniques and fabrication capabilities. 

CB&I president and CEO Mark Butts said: "We are proud to support Lithium Nevada and Bechtel in delivering a lithium project of national significance. 

"Thacker Pass will help enable a US supply of lithium and create well-paying jobs during construction and operations. Our team is honoured to contribute CB&I's legacy of tank engineering and construction excellence to this important project." 

Lithium Nevada, a subsidiary of Lithium Americas, is developing the Thacker Pass project, located in northern Nevada's Humboldt County. 

The project is expected to contribute to decreasing the US' dependence on foreign critical minerals and support the development of a domestic lithium battery supply chain. 

Lithium Americas executive vice-president Richard Gerspacher said: "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. 

"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." 

The project is managed by Bechtel, the engineering, procurement, and construction management contractor.  

Bechtel deputy project director Dan Dawson said: "CB&I is an example of the industry-leading contractors and suppliers that have joined the team delivering Thacker Pass. 

"We welcome them to the project and look forward to seeing the tanks take shape as the plant comes together.”