Oak Ridge is about to feel a major jolt from the nuclear sector. Centrus Energy announced Friday a large expansion in the city, pledging nearly 430 new jobs and more than $560 million to convert its Technology & Manufacturing Center into a high-rate centrifuge factory to support domestic uranium enrichment. The move, officials say, will supply advanced centrifuges needed for both commercial reactors and national-security missions. Anderson County and Oak Ridge leaders are already calling the announcement a significant economic boost for the region.
In a Jan. 23 statement, Centrus laid out the plan and timeline, saying the expansion will create “nearly 430” jobs and involve “more than $560 million” in investment over several years, according to Centrus Energy. The company said the site will scale production of thousands of advanced centrifuges to support plans in Piketon, Ohio. “These advanced centrifuges are essential to meeting America’s energy security and national security requirements,” Centrus CEO Amir Vexler said in the release.
What Centrus Will Build And When
The company says the Oak Ridge factory, a roughly 440,000-square-foot manufacturing campus, will be retooled for high-rate assembly and precision machining, with the first Tennessee-made centrifuges targeted to be online by 2029, according to Investing.com. Centrus has already conducted testing and limited manufacturing at the site and expects to scale output to meet both utility contracts and Department of Energy work. The timeline depends on permitting, construction sequencing and supply-chain buildup over the next several years.
Federal Backing And The Bigger Picture
The Oak Ridge expansion lines up with a Jan. 6 DOE-related task order that selected Centrus for roughly $900 million to expand enrichment capacity in Piketon, a federal move the company says will be supported by centrifuges produced in Tennessee, according to Centrus Energy. That award is intended to accelerate commercial-scale production of High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU), fuel needed for advanced reactors. Company officials say the mix of federal funding and private investment could catalyze thousands of construction and operations jobs across Ohio and Tennessee.
Local Officials Welcome The Investment
State and local leaders joined the announcement and framed the project as a win for Tennessee’s growing nuclear cluster, noting the role of the state’s Nuclear Energy Fund in recent deals, per TNECD. TVA also expressed support for the expansion and highlighted the prospect of “more than 400 high-quality jobs” for the region. Anderson County and Oak Ridge officials said the investment will strengthen area supply chains and help attract further advanced manufacturing work.
Oak Ridge Is Becoming A Nuclear Hub
Centrus’ announcement follows a string of big nuclear-related investments in the Oak Ridge corridor: Oklo announced a nearly $1.68 billion advanced fuel center and fuel-recycling facility in the region, and LIS Technologies recently outlined a $1.38 billion laser-enrichment project on the K-25 footprint, according to company releases and trade coverage. Together, those projects are reshaping the East Tennessee Technology Park and nearby industrial sites into a national hub for fuel, reactor and advanced manufacturing supply chains. Regulators and utilities will be closely involved as planning shifts toward permitting and construction…