Rex Geveden/BWX Technologies
The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration has awarded BWX Technologies a $1.5 billion contract to establish a domestic uranium enrichment capability to provide nuclear fuel for defense requirements.
DUECE Pilot Plant
Under the contract, BWXT said Tuesday it will initiate requirements to construct the Domestic Uranium Enrichment Centrifuge Experiment, or DUECE, pilot plant, including designing the plant, applying for licenses, purchasing long-lead equipment, demonstrating centrifuge manufacturing readiness and operating the facility.
The DUECE plant will be based at BWXT’s Nuclear Fuel Services site in Erwin, Tennessee.
According to the company, the pilot plant will demonstrate the production of low-enriched uranium to support NNSA’s defense missions before being repurposed to manufacture highly enriched uranium for naval propulsion applications.
“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,” said Rex Geveden, president and CEO of BWXT.
In a news release, NNSA said the sole-source, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract awarded to BWXT will allow it to streamline the deployment of the DUECE pilot plant and help establish critical supply chains to meet defense mission requirements.
According to the agency, Oak Ridge National Laboratory will continue to advance the development of the DUECE technology, which will not be used to produce enriched uranium for the commercial nuclear power industry.
BWXT’s Centrifuge Manufacturing Development Facility
In June, BWXT kicked off construction work on its Centrifuge Manufacturing Development Facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, marking a key step in supporting NNSA’s effort to establish a domestic uranium enrichment capability.
The facility is expected to generate about 100 highly skilled jobs and create more following the initial testing phase and low-rate manufacturing demonstrations.
In April, BWXT announced that it acquired about 97 acres of land in Oak Ridge to support the centrifuge manufacturing facility.
The company said the DUECE pilot plant will use the centrifuges built in Oak Ridge.
“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,” Geveden said.