Centrus to expand Oak Ridge facility

Funding sources: The expansion of the centrifuge manufacturing facility is being made possible with funding from the $50 million Nuclear Energy Fund that was proposed by Lee in 2023 and approved by the Tennessee General Assembly. The purpose of the fund is to “expand the state’s nuclear development and manufacturing ecosystem by providing grants and assistance to support nuclear energy business investment, workforce development programs, and site development across Tennessee.”

According to Centrus, the expansion will lead to nearly 430 new jobs and investments of more than $560 million in Anderson County over the next several years as thousands of centrifuges are produced. The new Tennessee-produced centrifuges will support the company’s plans to expand the American Centrifuge Plant, its uranium enrichment plant in Piketon, Ohio. That expansion is being made possible with a Department of Energy award valued at $900 million. Centrus expects that the first new centrifuges will come on line at Piketon in 2029.

The DOE award is being used to support the further implementation of HALEU enrichment at Piketon, as Centrus adds capacity there for both HALEU and LEU production. Centrus is currently in Phase III of a DOE contract to produce and deliver HALEU at a rate of at least 900 kilograms of HALEU UF₆ per year for three, three-year optional periods, which started in 2025. All HALEU produced under the contract is owned and controlled by the DOE.

Enriching uranium at scale: At the announcement of the Oak Ridge center’s expansion, Vexler said, “We are proud to be leading the effort to restore America’s ability to enrich uranium at scale–using American technology, built by American workers right here in Tennessee. These advanced centrifuges are essential to meeting America's energy security and national security requirements. We are honored to be a part of the vibrant ecosystem of nuclear energy leaders in East Tennessee and grateful for the strong support of federal, state and local leaders here.”

Lee added, “Companies nationwide recognize that Tennessee is the nation’s epicenter for new nuclear, and I am grateful for Centrus’s continued investment in the Volunteer State.”