The management and operations contractor for the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site near Aiken, S.C., recently hired 24 new workers for tritium operations and plans to continue ramping up the staff.
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) manages production of tritium gas under the Savannah River Tritium Enterprise (SRTE). Tritium gas triggers the chain reaction in nuclear weapons. The site’s Tritium Extraction Facility (TEF) removes the material from tritium-producing burnable absorber rods (TPBARs) that have been irradiated in a commercial light-water reactor operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Beyond TEF, the Savannah River tritium facilities include a processing building where the gas undergoes purification and a building that houses maintenance and support staff.
The actual amount of tritium produced for the U.S. Department of Defense is not made public.
The new operators will oversee various aspects of the tritium mission, such as operating equipment, monitoring how workers implement job tasks, and ensuring the facilities are safely functioning. Hiring took place over the summer and the new employees have been undergoing job training.
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions expects to hire about another 100 workers in fiscal 2019, which began on Oct. 1. A spokesperson did not state the specific job details, but said they would vary between non-exempt employees – those entitled to minimum wage and overtime pay – and exempt employees, those who are not entitled to those benefits.
The increased hiring is largely due to confirmed and expected retirements, as well as an increased workload for the tritium mission in the coming years, a spokesperson said via email.
Savannah River Site tritium operations are being ramped up as part of the Energy Department’s Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan, which outlines the agency’s long-term handling of its nuclear weapons mission. The plan says agency wants to “maximize tritium production” and output through 2040 and beyond. It is unclear how SRS would factor into plans that far into the future.
All told, about 650 employees now work full-time for the Savannah River Tritium Enterprise, with another 890 employees indirectly supporting the work via safety, security, and other positions.
“One of the most important things we need to do today is to ensure that we are prepared to continue successfully performing our work in the future,” Mark Davis, SRNS deputy vice president for NNSA operations and programs, said in a press release.
