BWX Technologies, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded a contract valued at $1.5 billion by the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to support the national mission of establishing a domestic uranium enrichment capability for defense purposes.

Under the contract, BWXT will initiate requirements to build the Domestic Uranium Enrichment Centrifuge Experiment (DUECE) pilot plant, which includes designing the plant, applying for the necessary licenses, procuring long-lead equipment, preparing the physical site, demonstrating centrifuge manufacturing readiness and operating the plant. The pilot plant will demonstrate low-enriched uranium (LEU) production for NNSA’s defense missions, before ultimately being repurposed to produce highly enriched uranium (HEU) for naval propulsion applications. BWXT will locate the plant at its Nuclear Fuel Services site in Erwin, Tennessee.

To support this effort, BWXT started construction of its Centrifuge Manufacturing Development Facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in June 2025. This marks a critical step forward in the company’s efforts to support NNSA’s establishment of a fully domestic uranium enrichment capability. Once fully operational, the facility is projected to create approximately 100 highly skilled jobs, with additional growth anticipated following the initial phase of start-up testing and low-rate manufacturing demonstrations. The Erwin pilot plant will utilize the centrifuges built in Oak Ridge.

“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 D. Geveden, BWXT president and chief executive officer. “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.”

In a news release, the NNSA stated, “(p)artnering 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.”

In April, the state of Tennessee announced BWXT will receive a grant from the state’s Nuclear Energy Fund to support the centrifuge manufacturing project. BWXT acquired nearly 97 acres of land in Oak Ridge for the facility.

 

Source: businesswire.com

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