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Nuclear Power and  Propulsion 

We bring broad-based experience in the nuclear industry, including the design and fabrication of nuclear components and operations of nuclear fuel production plants. 

Our legacy in naval nuclear propulsion dates back to the 1950s, when we designed and fabricated components for the USS Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine. Driven by the early objective to minimize fueling interruptions, as seen in today’s design of submarine reactors lasting a boat’s lifetime and carrier reactors requiring only a single mid-life fueling, the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program now empowers the U.S. Navy with the ability to maintain unparalleled stealth and lethality across vast oceanic distances. To date, the Navy’s submarines and aircraft carriers have safely steamed millions of miles using components manufactured by BWXT. Our long and successful track record is underscored by our commitment to safety, quality and integrity.  

Today, our reactors power the Navy’s Ohio, Virginia, Seawolf and Los Angeles-class submarines, and we have delivered components for the new Columbia-class submarine currently under construction. Our reactors also power Nimitz and Ford-class aircraft carriers.  

We’re not just a supplier; we’re a partner in complex engineering. From start to finish, we’ve got the expertise to handle the big challenges. With a highly-skilled team, rigorous quality control and advanced facilities – it all comes together to build components you can truly depend on.

BWXT-Lynchburg-facility aerial photo at night

Applicable locations include:  

Lynchburg, Virginia – manufactures naval nuclear reactors for submarines and aircraft carriers.  

Barberton, Ohio – manufactures heavy components for nuclear reactor plants used in submarines and aircraft carriers. 

Euclid, Ohio – manufactures electro-mechanical components for naval reactors used in submarines and aircraft carriers. 

Mount Vernon, Indiana – manufactures heavy components for naval nuclear reactors and aircraft carriers; facilitates ocean-going barge transportation, boasting the largest dock crane on the Ohio River with a 1,000-ton lift capacity. 

Erwin, Tennessee – converts Cold War-era stockpiles of highly-enriched uranium into material suitable for processing into commercial nuclear reactor fuel; also operates a uranium fuel materials production facility to support America’s fleet of nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers. 

BWXT USS Pennsylvania 171227-N-UD469-047 PUGET SOUND, Wash. (Dec. 27, 2017) The Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Pennsylvania (SSBN 735) transits the Hood Canal as the boat returns to its homeport at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor following a routine strategic deterrent patrol. Pennsylvania is one of eight ballistic-missile submarines stationed at the base, providing the most survivable leg of the strategic deterrence triad for the United States. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Amanda R. Gray/Released)
For more than 70 years, BWXT has proudly supported the U.S. Navy’s mission to defend freedom and uphold security across the globe.

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