A Savannah River Site (SRS) project to update vital tritium capabilities in support of the Nation’s nuclear deterrent has achieved a key milestone. The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) approved the conceptual design, cost range, and schedule range for the Tritium Finishing Facility (TFF), which will position SRS to continue executing its tritium missions for decades to come.

Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen and a key element in nuclear weapons. SRS prepares the nation’s only tritium supply for national defense, and it ships tritium-loaded containers, called reservoirs, to the Department of Defense, where they are installed in weapons.

TFF will replace SRS’s H-Area Old Manufacturing Facility (HAOM), which currently houses the assembly, inspection, and packaging processes for tritium production. HAOM dates from the 1950s, and potential problems related to the age of the facility, including maintenance cost, could pose the risk of negatively impacting operations. Replacing HAOM will ensure safe, reliable, and efficient operations for the future.

“Investment in the Nuclear Security Enterprise’s infrastructure represents critical and tangible proof of America’s commitment to nuclear deterrence,” said Lisa E. Gordon-Hagerty, DOE Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and NNSA Administrator. “TFF will ensure a vital capability for decades to come with greater efficiencies and reduced operating costs.”

With this approval, the TFF project may proceed to the next major milestones, which include approval of the project’s preliminary and final designs and authorization to release funds for construction. TFF is expected to come online in 2031.

“Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) is executing missions that are vital to our country’s national security,” said Stuart MacVean, SRNS President and CEO. “Modernizing facility infrastructure ensures our ability to both safely and efficiently meet the needs of the NNSA and ultimately, the Nation.”

Established by Congress in 2000, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is a semiautonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science. The mission of the NNSA Savannah River
Field Office (SRFO) is to provide operations, programs, and project oversight and contract administration
for NNSA field activities at the Savannah River Site, located near Aiken, South Carolina.