The High-Fidelity Training and Operations Center (HFTOC) recently received "Critical Decision-2/3" approval, establishing a project baseline and allowing full-scale construction to begin on the $1.4 billion facility.
The 103,000-square-foot structure is designed to be a mirror image of the future Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility (SRPPF).
According to a release, the center will allow operators to master the complex skills required for plutonium pit production in a non-nuclear environment. This "dry run" capability is considered essential for building a skilled workforce before the main processing building comes online.
Current federal law requires the U.S. to produce no fewer than 80 pits per year.
To meet this goal, the NNSA is utilizing a two-site strategy, the Savannah River Site (South Carolina) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (New Mexico)
“The HFTOC at SRS will be a training facility used to accelerate the re-establishment of large-scale plutonium pit manufacturing in the United States,” said Michael Mikolanis, NNSA Savannah River Field Office Manager.
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) has partnered with subcontractor Kiewit to transform the existing structure. The project will include:
The project is slated for completion in 2028.
