BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT) traces its history all the way back to the 1850s with the invention of the water tube boiler. Operating for many years as a part of The Babcock & Wilcox Company, we have long been at the forefront of the commercial nuclear power generation and government nuclear industries - indeed, we’re proud to have achieved an impressive number of firsts in both businesses. In 2015, The Babcock & Wilcox Company spun off its power generation business to allow BWXT to focus on government and nuclear operations.
Trademarks of Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates (“B&W”) are used with permission, and such use does not indicate any endorsement by B&W of BWXT products or services or affiliation between the companies.
A Timeline of BWX Technologies, Inc.
![Historical image from 1856](/media/22133bc4-430e-4a4e-93ee-df149e610f13/BumRJw/Images/About/History/historical56.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=4f6fa)
1856
Stephen Wilcox patented the water tube boiler
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1867
Stephen Wilcox and George Babcock established Babcock, Wilcox & Company
![Historical image from 1879](/media/ad12eb97-04fd-4188-9cfe-51bfe129534b/duF8ew/Images/About/History/steam-cover.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=dae08)
1879
Published the first edition of Steam: its generation and use. It is the longest continuously published engineering text of its kind in the world, now in its 42nd edition
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1881
First central electrical station in the US, operated by the Brush Electric Light Company in Philadelphia, is powered by four 73-horsepower B&W boilers
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1882
Thomas Edison’s Pearl Street Station in New York City, powered by four B&W boilers, ushered in the concept of a public utility and the age of electricity for lighting, transportation and industry
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1888
Thomas Edison wrote that the B&W boiler is “the best boiler god has permitted man yet to make”
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1889
Marine boiler business is launched with the installation of a new boiler built for Stephen Wilcox’s steam yacht Reverie
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1891
B&W’s international business was consolidated with the founding of Babcock & Wilcox Limited, headquartered in London, England. The US-based B&W retained no management interest in Babcock & Wilcox Limited
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1893
Stephen Wilcox died in November. George Babcock died 19 days later.
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1902
New York City's first subway powered by B&W boilers
![Historical image from 1906](/media/9ead9ba2-3335-449e-9511-c905a66defaf/4N2beQ/Images/About/History/historical46.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=060e1)
1906
Purchased the Stirling Consolidated Boiler Company plant in Barberton, Ohio, to manufacture boilers for industrial applications
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1907
Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet powered by B&W boilers
![Historical image from 1923](/media/5e929a2e-4bc9-4647-8325-cc28b7a587a9/5j7yjA/Images/About/History/portraits-Goldie-McColloch.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=6299a)
1923
B&W and Goldie-McCulloch incorporated in Canada, setting the stage for the company’s eventual establishment of Babcock & Wilcox Canada, Ltd., located in Cambridge, Ontario
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1930
Contracted to construct penstocks for Hoover Dam
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1943–1945
Provided components, materials and process development for Manhattan Project
![Historical image from 1946](/media/e512d924-6d6a-4b20-958c-1c1a5f21eb9e/bGUyCw/Images/About/History/retro-siging.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=d4d6c)
1946
Awarded first contract to research propulsion systems for US Navy
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1949
Awarded contracts to design and build boilers for the SS United States, the first American superliner
![Historical image from 1953–1955](/media/5c3172d0-b375-4156-9af5-f107b1667e94/HgO3jA/Images/About/History/historical38.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=872d0)
1953–1955
Designed and fabricated components for USS Nautilus, world’s first nuclear-powered submarine
![Historical image from 1956–1957](/media/ccfa22be-b95f-4e3d-863b-468be96a7c54/ewoVVA/Images/About/History/shippingport.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=bf56d)
1956–1957
Manufactured components for the first full-scale peacetime nuclear power plant in the US – the Shippingport Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania
![Historical image from 1956](/media/a7f982ce-4f2e-4684-a459-ae31ad902a3f/gaOVcg/Images/About/History/historical37.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=f71fa)
1956
Designed and built first privately licensed commercial Critical Experiment Laboratory and began operations at Lynchburg Research Center, the first privately financed US nuclear facility
![Historical image from 1957](/media/5fcdf4a9-3355-4010-b0a4-d1241a2410a7/42CxjA/Images/About/History/historical36.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=44ccb)
1957
Constructed first supercritical pressure coal-fired boiler
![Historical image from 1958](/media/05578ead-7c93-4de4-80bc-aa33c6bca1d6/HOFJTA/Images/About/History/ANS1-1B.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=3e789)
1958
Began fabricating research and test reactor fuel for universities and national laboratories
![Historical image from 1959](/media/18fef0e0-b751-4703-a84c-ec9d999d4bb0/x_eLjA/Images/About/History/historical33.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=4d9e5)
1959
World’s first nuclear merchant ship NS Savannah is launched with a B&W-manufactured nuclear reactor
![Historical image from 1962](/media/9277bb38-794c-4547-bba3-7b7ddb3c7d54/DVWFjA/Images/About/History/historical32.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=4069d)
1962
Designed and furnished reactor systems for Indian Point, thus entering commercial nuclear market
![Historical image from 1962](/media/6d95fe94-a621-4406-9525-9bf904e6c671/nC1zKw/Images/About/History/NED%20Mount%20Vernon-Indiana%20b-w.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=dcf13)
1962
Site at Mount Vernon, Indiana, developed for manufacturing large, heavy nuclear steam supply components
![Historical image from 1964](/media/a5a0d39c-8683-4b74-bf72-7d74d819976a/pLKGjA/Images/About/History/historical31.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=b1e2d)
1964
Concluded design work on Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL)
![Historical image from 1966](/media/b332f09f-3bf0-4992-9335-cec084529fac/pLKGjA/Images/About/History/historical30.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=1a555)
1966
Initiated design and fabrication of components for Nimitz-class aircraft carriers
![Historical image from 1975](/media/75dc3c37-fd0c-4952-be72-815f37a9a312/8Ksjzw/Images/About/History/shippingport-reactor-1977.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=7abbe)
1975
Designed and built components for liquid metal fast breeder reactor
![Historical image from 1978](/media/ea5943ad-9c96-496f-ac5b-30bbe7038720/rS_Peg/Images/About/History/BW%20McDermott%20M.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=76d69)
1978
Acquired by J. Ray McDermott & Co., Inc.
![Historical image from 1981–1985](/media/1a8c0c91-e746-4040-aa43-f211843f0de4/C6eajA/Images/About/History/historical25.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=a14a9)
1981–1985
Decontaminated and decommissioned first commercial plutonium laboratory in the US
![Historical image from 1987](/media/b7544536-0af6-4083-94d2-f31ffd41b33a/CGiRKA/Images/About/History/nuclear-rocket.png?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=5c9e7)
1987
Awarded contract to design space nuclear thermal propulsion system
![Historical image from 1991](/media/7232cd09-b681-48c6-a226-b2bb733a78b7/AEF8wg/Images/About/History/inl-aerial.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=0712e)
1991
Selected to manage and operate Specific Manufacturing Capability (SMC) at Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory
![Historical image from 1993](/media/58e21239-4916-488b-8413-4eb4a2a12f7d/BMwIHA/Images/About/History/space-nuclear2.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=538e7)
1993
Issued patent for solar bi-modal space power and propulsion system
![Historical image from 1993](/media/69a4637a-b385-408d-8e2d-beb4fa23c970/3rwWQQ/piping%20at%20BH.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=ca962)
1993
Awarded management and operating contract of Strategic Petroleum Reserve as part of DynMcDermott
![Historical image from 1993](/media/216899a1-65c5-47b9-ac27-ba2b7c985c35/VmKWjA/Images/About/History/historical24.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=35424)
1993
Initiated design and fabrication of heavy-equipment components for Virginia-class submarine
![Historical image from 1994](/media/6b42bafd-51e1-49f0-98d1-48ef8f32f9b3/sumftg/Images/About/History/atr_inl_sunrise.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=38ac8)
1994
Awarded first major US Department of Energy site management and operating contract at Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory as part of winning team
![Historical image from 1995](/media/cc50fc76-3908-4cd7-9997-cdf6dcd6b5a4/xuBY-g/Images/About/History/Downblending%20photo.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=763ab)
1995
Awarded contract to downblend HEU (Highly Enriched Uranium) from Project Sapphire
![Historical image from 1997](/media/f8604768-080d-4f44-b28a-d18f74bf5c4c/wt-TjA/Images/About/History/historical22.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=7b5d0)
1997
Awarded first prime contract from the US Department of Energy to manage and operate the Mound Site in Ohio
![Historical image from 1999](/media/c3073997-2014-4123-8662-d5fac15d982d/E7466A/Images/About/History/handshake-contract.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=6b22d)
1999
Awarded contract to develop fuel cells and hydrogen reformers for US Navy
![Historical image from 2000](/media/ecedaa66-e000-4c39-baf1-878c13423db0/yfjojA/Images/About/History/historical18.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=a60d0)
2000
Awarded contract to manage and operate Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas
![Historical image from 2000](/media/c7d869f2-182a-4993-8a84-6af2ebe50464/MFgT2Q/Images/About/History/courthouse-steps.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=a3bdb)
2000
B&W and some subsidiaries file a voluntary petition in the US Bankruptcy Court to reorganize under Chapter 11
![Historical image from 2003](/media/a1121fab-9d2d-443e-af9d-805b85bc4d87/ID58Aw/Images/About/History/historical17.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=f0bce)
2003
Supported development of reactor plant for Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO)
![Historical image from 2004](/media/2b67d5bf-3ddd-4d97-aca8-8e6f69723420/tBHhjA/Images/About/History/historical13.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=745d6)
2004
Awarded contract to manage and operate Idaho National Laboratory as part of Battelle Energy Alliance
![Historical image from 2005](/media/a08dd801-5d3d-45fe-bf82-ce05778ac442/qbTnjA/Images/About/History/historical15.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=55e30)
2005
Awarded contract to manage and operate Los Alamos National Laboratory as part of Los Alamos National Security, LLC
![Historical image from 2006](/media/37e7ac68-0049-459f-88a9-36747ccedc57/fI_ijA/Images/About/History/historical12.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=c1b67)
2006
Began developing oxy-fuel technology for carbon capture at fossil-fueled power plants
![Historical image from 2007](/media/9f885122-2ba6-49a1-91b7-23ff421b2b3d/Ss-XqA/Images/About/History/bw-bwxt-to-bwc.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=45e7e)
2007
Consolidated B&W and BWXT operations under the name The Babcock & Wilcox Company.
![Historical image from 2007](/media/334f14b4-e00d-4ba6-af93-390626e59e2e/HCjIuQ/Images/About/History/euclid-arial.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=93ea1)
2007
Acquired Marine Mechanical Corporation in Euclid, Ohio
![Historical image from 2008](/media/90e752ca-c7e4-4fc3-9843-b21d154d080c/4Er-jA/Images/About/History/historical09.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=e9a42)
2008
Acquired Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc. in Erwin, Tennessee, as a subsidiary
![Historical image from 2009](/media/9916400a-3121-4554-87fc-cff6fa72c0e7/o2tEzQ/Images/About/History/historical06.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=947d3)
2009
Began small modular reactor design for commercial nuclear industry
![Historical image from 2010](/media/17a70e70-e8c4-47d5-ab06-b6fdd4ff9531/1Jwnnw/Charlotte_corporate_office_cropped.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=f46d8)
2010
Spun off from McDermott International as standalone, publicly traded company
![Historical image from 2010](/media/8a1e2781-a37f-4425-9c47-8e4912978b10/k02jkg/Images/About/History/paducah-portsmith.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=26ba4)
2010
Awarded contract by the US Department of Energy for uranium conversion operations at the Paducah and Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plants
![Historical image from 2011](/media/3f6ec41c-cb81-4510-8e0d-e63ea1aa292f/T3eqhA/Images/About/History/fukushima-map-01.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=99d00)
2011
Provided consulting services for nuclear reactor recovery efforts at Fukushima, Japan
2011
Awarded management and operating contract at US Department of Energy’s Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project
![Historical image from 2011](/media/29dced8b-3dc6-40a9-8ab9-f8f862b0346b/Mrf2jA/Images/About/History/waste-fl.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=45898)
2011
Awarded Waste-to-Energy power generation plant contracts in West Palm Beach, Florida
![Historical image from 2014](/media/86955d3a-ab84-42dd-a128-c8b8027e14b2/hrk6cA/Images/About/History/signing.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=0f5f3)
2014
Signed Memorandum of Understanding for support for the development of TerraPower’s Generation IV traveling wave reactor
![Historical image from 2015](/media/5db88731-f940-4acd-8c74-07f30f89b246/VrOuNA/Images/About/History/spin2.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=294c9)
2015
B&W spun off power generation business. Government and nuclear operations continue under BWX Technologies, Inc.
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2015
BWXT rings bell at NYSE - Dec. 2015
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2016
BWXT completes acquisition of GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy Canada, Inc. joint venture, renamed BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada Inc. (BWXT NEC)
![Historical image from 2017](/media/e8573eea-b451-40e2-862a-ff22f721f426/jkUAGA/Images/About/History/ntp-mtv-mars.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=09a34)
2017
BWXT awarded $18.8 million contract from NASA to initiate conceptual designs for a nuclear thermal propulsion reactor
![Historical image from 2018](/media/254bb4d9-08fb-47ba-8047-770cfb0449d9/CCMaWg/Images/Medical%20Isotopes/Palladium_cropped.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=d3abe)
2018
Acquired Sotera Health’s Nordion medical isotope business to support breakthrough isotope technology
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2020
Acquired Laker Energy Products, Inc. to broaden our portfolio of CANDU® components.
![Historical image from 2021](/media/f02b98e4-dd49-4378-b3da-3b5ff07fd41b/IXzG0g/Images/Government-Services/Savannah%20River%20Site%20aerial.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=570cc)
2021
BWXT awarded $21 billion contract from U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for environmental management operations at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina
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2022
BWXT awarded contract from U.S. Department of Defense to build the first advanced nuclear microreactor in the United States.
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2022
Jan Bertsch elected as first female board chair in BWXT's history
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2022
BWXT completes acquisition of Cunico and Dynamic Controls, Ltd. to expand and enhance core naval nuclear manufacturing business by adding highly-engineered, proprietary valves, manifolds and fittings for global shipbuilding
![Historical image from 2023](/media/85940bbd-8c29-4897-a40a-da3bf1167502/LxMM3w/Images/Advanced-Technologies/LM%20DRACO%20illustration_02b.jpg?mh=400&q=50&action=fill&sh=6a22e)
2023
BWXT awarded contract to provide nuclear reactor engine and fuel for DARPA space project