BWX Technologies awarded $1.5b contract for NNSA defense fuels program

BWX Technologies (BWXT) announced that it has been awarded a contract valued at $1.5B by the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration 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 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 production for NNSA’s defense missions, before ultimately being repurposed to produce highly enriched uranium 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.