Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Bob Rolfe, and Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) officials announced this week the company will establish new manufacturing operations in Oak Ridge.
“As a national leader in clean, reliable nuclear energy, Tennessee plays a significant role in powering America and fueling our economy,” Governor Lee said in a statement. “Our highly skilled workforce, strong business climate and local advantages make Oak Ridge the premier location for Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation, and I commend their decision to expand in Tennessee.”
.@UltraSafeNuke, a manufacturer of inherently safe nuclear fuels, will locate its Pilot Fuel Manufacturing facility at the East Tennessee Technology Park in Oak Ridge.
The project represents an investment of $13 million in Roane County. https://t.co/vYyrdOJQHf pic.twitter.com/qxTDBDiTEq
— TNECD (@TNECD) March 2, 2022
USNC will invest $13 million in its Pilot Fuel Manufacturing (PFM) facility and create 31 new jobs over the next five years, according to a press release by TNECD. Privately funded, American-owned and controlled, USNC is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and is “a global leader in the deployment of micro reactors and a strong vertical integrator of nuclear power technologies.”
“Tennessee’s diverse landscape and business friendly climate attract an array of companies to the state. We are fortunate to have valuable assets like ORNL in East Tennessee that can provide resources in science and technology to companies like Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation,” Rolfe said in a statement. “We appreciate the company’s investment in Roane County and look forward to seeing its future success.”
Located in the East Tennessee Technology Park, the Oak Ridge pilot facility will specialize in manufacturing the company’s Fully Ceramic Microencapsulated (FCM®) nuclear fuel and refractory ceramic (silicon carbide) materials, according to the press release. The inherently safe FCM fuel is designed for use in USNC’s Micro Modular Reactor (MMR™) and other advanced reactors.
The facility will be in close proximity to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration’s Y-12 National Security Complex, allowing USNC to leverage the region’s highly skilled workforce, which is trained to work on nuclear fuel solutions, the press release notes.
“Tennessee and the East Tennessee Technology Park provide a unique environment for an advanced nuclear innovator like USNC,” Kurt Terrani, executive vice president of the USNC Core Division, said in a statement. “Our proximity to key players in the nuclear energy complex, as well as the exceptionally skilled workforce in the area, are important contributing factors in the success of our Pilot Fuel Manufacturing facility. The support and thorough engagement we received from TNECD and its partners made the siting of our facility in this region an obvious choice.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Bill Lee” by Gov. Bill Lee. Photo “Bob Rolfe” by Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. Background Photo “Oak Ridge” by TNECD.
Safe, like Chernobyl?
Did this cost the taxpayers any money either directly or through tax abatements? Inquiring taxpayers want to know.
Of course tax abatements are involved. However, this inquiring taxpayer wants to know who are the “real players” behind “Pilot” Fuel Manufacturing? Get my drift!?