Westinghouse is investing nearly $1 billion in a new nuclear-fuel factory in Hopkins, South Carolina, expanding a manufacturing site that already employs more than 1,200 people in Lower Richland County.
Construction is underway beside the company’s Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility, with production expected to begin in 2030. Westinghouse announced the investment October 21. The new factory will make fuel designed to help nuclear reactors generate more electricity and operate longer between refueling shutdowns.
For nearby businesses and workers, the first opportunities will come during construction. Westinghouse expects several hundred contractors on site at the project’s peak, alongside an internal team of roughly 30 to 50 people. The company anticipates work for contractors, subcontractors and suppliers, as well as local hiring by its major contractors.
Longer runs between refueling
The expansion centers on Low Enriched Uranium Plus, known as LEU+, which uses uranium enriched to between 5% and 8%…