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Dismantling work at former Savannah River Site MOX facility completed ahead of schedule
The Department of Energy is ahead of schedule in its effort to convert the former Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility into a plutonium pit production facility at the Savannah River Site.
The process of dismantling and removing equipment needed for the MOX facility but not needed for plutonium pit production was completed in June, the department and Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, the site's manager and operator, announced July 24. Converting the MOX facility into a plutonium production facility is a directive from the National Nuclear Security Administration, SRNS President and CEO Dennis Carr said in a news release. The National Nuclear Security Administration is the semi-autonomous Department of Energy agency tasked with producing the materials needed for nuclear weapons. SRNS already produces tritium for the NNSA at SRS. And the NNSA plans to produce around 50 pits per year at the plutonium pit production facility beginning in the mid-2030s. In thermonuclear weapons, plutonium pits are a sphere that's compressed to begin a nuclear reaction. "Reaching this milestone at SRS allows crews to begin the next stages of work in the field to build this pit production facility for our country," Carr said. AECON-WACHS, a contractor with a facility in Jackson, began dismantling and removal work in January 2023. The work included removing HVAC ducts, piping, electrical conduits, pumps, tanks and gloveboxes from the structure without damaging the configuration of items projected for reuse and was projected to take up to two years. A total of 2,535 gross tons of materials were removed from the 400,000-square-foot SRPPF Main Process Building concrete structure and sent offsite for recycling. "It was very challenging work, and completion of D&R shows we’re making great progress," SRNS Senior Vice President and plutonium pit facility Project Director Jon Lunn said. Nineteen local trade unions are expected to be involved with the conversion. Around 2,500 construction and trade jobs are expected to be created during the conversion. Once construction is complete, 2,000 people will be employed at the facility. "The nation called upon the Savannah River Site during the Cold War, and we delivered," said Carr. "The United States is once again calling on SRS to enhance stability and security for our country, our allies, and our partners. We are answering this challenge to bring forth this production capability, and we will deliver."
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