BWX Technologies on Tuesday took home another $300 million contract from the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program to manufacture nuclear reactor fuel for the Navy’s nuclear-powers submarines and aircraft carriers.
Under the new deal, BWXT subsidiary Nuclear Fuel Services of Erwin, Tenn., will manufacture and deliver fuel for the Naval Reactors Program, which supplies propulsion for the Navy’s Ohio-, Virginia-, Seawolf- and Los Angeles-class submarines, as well as the Nimitz- and Ford-class aircraft carriers.
BWXT fuel and reactors will also power the Navy’s incoming Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines.
When fuel production is complete, it is shipped to BWXT’s facility near Lynchburg, Va., for final installation into the naval reactors that BWXT manufactures.
Reactors for submarines developed and built today are designed to last for the life of the ship. For the Virginia-class boats, that is about 33 years, according to the Department of Energy. For Ohio-class boats and their replacements, the Columbia-class new reactors should last up to 40 years, according to the Navy. Aircraft carrier power plants have a shorter service life – about 20 years – and are refueled once during the life of the ship.
“BWXT has a trusted relationship with Naval Reactors to provide reliable power for the nuclear navy, and it’s a mission that our company and our employees see as vital for national security,” Sharon Smoot, president of BWXT Nuclear Operations Group, said in a statement. “Naval Reactors is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and BWXT remains committed to providing our customer with the highest-quality components and support activities for many years to come.”
Work under this contract has already begun and should be complete by mid-2025, BWXT said.
