BY Ginika Igboke
Nuclear solutions provider BWX Technologies announced Sept. 17 that it has secured a $1.5 billion contract from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to help establish a domestic supply of enriched uranium for U.S. defense needs.
The NNSA, a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy, will use the enriched uranium to power nuclear-fueled submarines and aircraft carriers.
Under the contract, Lynchburg, Virginia-based BWXT will construct a uranium-enrichment centrifuge manufacturing pilot plant on nearly 97 acres in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The centrifuges produced there will support operations at BWXT’s nuclear fuel services facility in Erwin, Tennessee.
BWXT will design the manufacturing facility, obtain required permits, procure long-lead materials, and oversee plant operations once construction and approvals are complete. The company said construction began in June.
Rex D. Geveden, BWXT’s president and CEO, described the centrifuge pilot plant as a key milestone in restoring domestic enrichment capabilities.
“NNSA’s selection of BWXT for this project acknowledges our long-standing role as a trusted partner in advancing the nation’s nuclear defense mission,” Geveden said. “Once operational, both facilities will enable us to scale manufacturing so the United States maintains sovereign capability to produce vital nuclear materials for national security.”
The pilot plant is expected to employ approximately 100 workers when fully operational, with additional hiring anticipated after ramp-up and testing phases. Initially, the facility will demonstrate production of low-enriched uranium before being repurposed to produce highly enriched uranium for naval propulsion.
The United States halted domestic production of enriched uranium in 1992. However, enriched uranium remains essential for naval reactors. The Navy’s first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, launched in 1955. Today, all 10 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers and the Ford-class carrier, along with all U.S. Navy attack and ballistic missile submarines, rely on onboard nuclear reactors powered by enriched uranium fuel.
The NNSA said sole-sourcing the pilot program to BWXT allows the agency to accelerate development and ensure a more reliable and timely supply of both low- and highly enriched uranium.
The agency added that the pilot plant is necessary to achieve key technological readiness milestones and strengthen critical supply chains for long-term defense enrichment requirements. It also said collaboration will continue with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to advance the restoration of enrichment capabilities.
The enriched uranium produced at the Tennessee pilot plant will be designated exclusively for defense purposes and will not be used by the commercial nuclear power industry, according to the NNSA.
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