Westinghouse to build $1 billion LEU+ fuel factory in South Carolina
Construction is underway at the Hopkins, S.C. site, with operations targeted for 2030; the fuel is enriched to 5% to 8% uranium-235.
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Key facts
- New factory sits at the existing Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility in Hopkins, built in 1968
- Fuel intended to support long-term operation of today's fleet and AP1000 reactors
- Westinghouse projects $4.9 billion in economic impact across South Carolina over 10 years
- Columbia facility employs more than 1,200 people in Lower Richland
- Westinghouse credits DOE tax credit program and state and county support
Westinghouse said on October 21 it will invest approximately $1 billion to build a LEU+ fuel factory at its Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility in Hopkins, South Carolina. Construction is underway, with operations targeted for 2030. LEU+ fuel, with uranium enrichment of 5% to 8%, is intended to extend operating cycles and support plant uprates under the U.S. UPRISE program, Westinghouse said. The company said the fuel is also meant to support long-term operation of the existing fleet and industrialization of AP1000 reactors, and that LEU+ fuel was first deployed successfully in the United States in 2025.
The Columbia site, built in 1968, produces fuel pellets, fuel rods, fuel assemblies and fuel components and employs over 1,200 people. Westinghouse said the investment is projected to contribute $4.9 billion in economic impact across South Carolina over 10 years, including $3.8 billion in Richland County, according to a study it commissioned with the University of South Carolina's Darla Moore School of Business.
Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Ted Garrish said the Department of Energy is investing billions to restore U.S. enrichment capabilities for both low-enriched uranium and high-assay low-enriched uranium.