BWX Technologies (BWXT) announced Tuesday the award of a contract valued at $1.5 billion to support national defense-focused domestic uranium enrichment for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
The Lynchburg, Va.-based nuclear company will begin tackling the list of requirements for building the Domestic Uranium Enrichment Centrifuge Experiment (DUECE) pilot plant, the company’s press release said. The requirements include the plant’s design, license applications, preparation for the physical site, equipment procurement, centrifuge manufacturing readiness and eventual plant operation.
In preparation for this effort, BWXT had acquired 97 acres of land in Oak Ridge, Tenn. earlier in the year, and started construction of the Centrifuge Manufacturing Development Facility in Oak Ridge in June.
The purpose of the DUECE pilot plant is to start demonstrating low-enriched uranium production for NNSA’s defense missions, before transitioning to producing highly-enriched uranium for naval propulsion. The plant will be located in Erwin, Tenn., at BWXT’s Nuclear Fuel Services site.
“Partnering with commercial industry for this pilot plant helps to establish critical supply chains for enduring defense enrichment requirements and ensures capabilities are ready on time to support mission need dates,” NNSA said in its release on the award. The agency added the highly-enriched uranium would not be used for commercial nuclear power purposes.