Oak Ridge, TN (WOKI) Calling it the “single-largest investment in Tennessee history,” Governor Bill Lee Wednesday announced a new, multi-billion-dollar uranium enrichment facility for the city of Oak Ridge.
The project, lead by Orano USA, will take up 750,000 feet in the Roane County area of Oak Ridge with a facility set to bring more than 300 jobs into the area.
Officials with the Paris, France-based company say the site will enrich uranium for energy and government use.
Jean-Luc Palayer, the CEO and president of the French company, said Oak Ridge was the perfect spot to build the facility.
“We are very pleased to make this announcement with the great state of Tennessee. The warm welcome, responsive engagement and established nuclear energy community in Oak Ridge, as well as access to continuous and stable power, have been key factors for this site selection,” Palayer said. “We’re already preparing for our next required steps, including securing available Federal support and customer commitments, obtaining an NRC license and Orano’s Board approval, but today we celebrate this major milestone towards bringing a new enrichment facility online to help meet our country’s need for an increased, secure domestic nuclear fuel supply.”
The company took advantage of a $60 million state funding pool, the Nuclear Energy Fund, aimed at bringing more nuclear energy business into the state.
“Our administration created the Nuclear Energy Fund in partnership with the Tennessee General Assembly to support and expand the state’s nuclear ecosystem, and in the last six months, we’ve announced four projects that will further strengthen Tennessee’s position as a leader in safe, clean and reliable energy for the future,” Lee said. “Tennessee is the number one state for nuclear energy companies to invest and thrive, and we are proud to partner with Orano to lead America’s energy independence and drive continued economic growth and greater opportunity for Tennesseans.”
Orano USA is the second company to use money from the fund.
