BWXT acquires land for US defence-focused enrichment plant
BWX Technologies, Inc has acquired 97 acres of land in Oak Ridge with plans to establish advanced centrifuge manufacturing capability that "will support the establishment of a reliable, long-term domestic supply of enriched uranium, an essential component for the nation’s defence".
In August 2024, the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration awarded BWX Technologies (BWXT) a year-long engineering contract to evaluate options for deploying a centrifuge pilot plant which could inform future potential work at the site, the company said.
The company said that the acquisition of the land at the Horizon Center Industrial Park "is a signal of BWXT’s intent to support future defense missions by supporting the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration and deployment of the Domestic Uranium Enrichment Centrifuge Experiment (DUECE) technology from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for unobligated enriched uranium".
Kevin McCoy, president of BWXT Government Operations, said: "The Oak Ridge community is a hub of innovation and nuclear expertise ready to support the NNSA’s national security mission ... the deployment of the domestically manufactured DUECE centrifuge resets our nation on the path to energy independence."
The National Nuclear Security Administration's DUECE programme has been developed by ORNL and is "intended to advance uranium enrichment expertise and technology for current and future US national security needs".
BWXT said that according to the National Nuclear Security Administration, "the US Government currently lacks the ability to enrich uranium to support defence missions. This programme is working to establish a new capability in time to meet national security needs using centrifuge technologies".
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