BWXT fuel processing subsidiary pauses operations amid Hurricane Helene; site is 'safe'

BWX Technologies subsidiary Nuclear Fuel Services Inc. suspended operations last Friday at a Tennessee facility to assess conditions following Hurricane Helene. A company spokesperson said the site remained "in safe and secure condition."

The Category 4 hurricane is being blamed for more than 130 deaths (as of this writing) and reportedly more than 2 million homes and businesses without power across the southeastern United States, where some areas recorded more than 30 inches of rain since Helene came ashore.

"Our primary focus is the safety and security of the site, and the well-being of our employees and community," said NFS president Ronald Dailey in a news release posted September 30 on social media. "Our community has been hit hard, and we are working with local response leaders to allow focus on our area recovery as the priority."

"NFF efforts to restart operations will be scheduled accordingly," Dailey added.

A closer look: NFS, located in Erwin, Tenn., processes high-enriched uranium to manufacture fuel material for all naval nuclear reactors used in U.S. submarines and aircraft carriers. The facility also converts Cold War-era government stockpiles of HEU into material suitable for further processing into commercial nuclear reactor fuel.

The facility's nuclear material remains in a safe and secure configuration, uninterrupted by the weather conditions. The plant's safety systems performed as designed.

Widespread flooding has devastated Erwin and the surrounding area," Dailey added. "We are aware of several NFF employees who have experienced personal loss of property and need time and assistance for recover."

Security work: Just a few weeks ago, BWXT announced a contract from the National Nuclear Security Administration to complete a yearlong engineering study to evaluate options for the deployment of a centrifuge pilot plant that would establish a domestic uranium enrichment capability.

BWXT has a long history of providing fuel fabrication and downblending services for the federal government, but until now had not included enrichment in its portfolio.

The NFF plant is one of two Category I facilities licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to store and process domestic uranium enrichment.