Electric vehicle leader Tesla Inc TSLA has dominated the sector thanks to efforts on vertical integration and large gigafactories to keep up with soaring demand. The company is expected to take things a step further with its own mining efforts, which could be coming soon.
What Happened: Tesla CEO Elon Musk has hinted at continued moves by the company to help control the costs of mining materials like lithium by launching its own mining operation or acquiring mining companies, something most analysts don’t see as a surprise.
Tesla submitted a proposal for a lithium refining facility in November. The facility would be located in Robstown, Texas, around 25 minutes away from Corpus Christi. Tesla is expected to invest $365 million in the lithium plant and hire around 165 full-time employees and over 200 construction workers for two years, according to Electrek.
Tesla’s job site lists three new jobs for Corpus Christi, Texas as a location. Two of the jobs have titles and descriptions and a third is just listed with a job title.
The first listing is for a “project scheduler.”
“As a project scheduler, you will be playing a critical role in the construction of Tesla’s first lithium refinery plant near Corpus Christi, TX. This role will support all project phases from engineering through commissioning of construction by providing project management with critical decision-making information that ensures projects are delivered on time,” the posting reads.
Another job listing is for an “area superintendent.”
“As Superintendent, you will be playing a critical role in construction of novel battery chemical plant (s) near Corpus Christi, TX. You will be a main coordinator of field operations and will need to work cross-functionally, interfacing with general contractors, subcontractors, manufacturing and construction engineering while driving a project’s schedule and budgets,” the posting reads.
Both jobs are looking for someone with a college degree in a relevant field and also past experience on $500 million industrial projects.
The third job title, which does not have a description yet, is “area construction manager.”
Related Link: Tesla Q3 Earnings Highlights: Record Revenue, Operating Margins And Free Cash Flow
Why It’s Important: In April, Benzinga shared news that Tesla had hired a geologist, which could be a move to push into mining operations.
Musk previously said that having mining operations could give the company a “license to print money” according to the Electrek report.
The company hasn’t shared many updates since the November news hit about the site proposal. The new job postings indicate that the company is progressing along with plans for the lithium refinery near Campus Christi.
Tesla has also pushed itself into more lithium supply deals with partners to help control supply and costs going forward.
While its own mining facility could be a couple of years away, Tesla continues to take steps in vertical integration, which could continue to push the company into leading the clean energy revolution.
TSLA Price Action: Tesla shares are up 8% to $121.59 on Monday.
Read Next: Here's How Many Vehicles Tesla Has Delivered And Produced In Each Quarter Since 2019
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