Lynchburg, Va.-based BWX Technologies (BWXT) said Tuesday it plans to apply for a uranium enrichment license to build a new defense nuclear facility in Erwin, Tenn.
The nuclear fuel company notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) so the agency can prepare to review the application, which BWXT will submit during the first quarter of calendar 2027, according to the company press release.
The release said BWXT will work closely with NRC regulators, and it aims to “help restore a fully domestic uranium enrichment capability for national defense and naval propulsion missions, building on decades of support to the nation’s defense nuclear programs.” BWXT said it expects the facility to be operational around 2035.
The Erwin facility will be built adjacent to BWXT’s Nuclear Fuel Services facility, and will support the company’s $1.5 billion contract with the Department of Energy’s semiautonomous National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to build the Domestic Uranium Enrichment Centrifuge Experiment (DUECE) pilot plant.
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. However, a spokesperson from BWXT clarified for Exchange Monitor that the Erwin Enrichment Site, the site which NRC plans to issue a license for BWXT to build, is separate from the DUECE pilot plant. Both sites still use Nuclear Fuel Services.
“Establishing reliable U.S. enrichment capacity is critical to ensuring the long-term availability of fuel for naval nuclear propulsion and other national security needs,” Rex Geveden, BWXT’s president and chief executive officer, said in the release. “Our planned facility will leverage state-of-the-art centrifuge technology and BWXT’s advanced manufacturing expertise to deliver a resilient and secure American supply of enriched uranium.”