Thousands of jobs tied to new Savannah River Site nuclear project

Joe Hotchkiss, Augusta ChronicleFri, October 23, 2026 at 9:07 AM UTC

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Savannah River Site is beginning full-scale construction on a new $23.5 billion facility to manufacture triggers for nuclear weapons and create thousands of jobs.

The National Nuclear Security Administration recently granted its approval for SRS to complete its Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility, according to the site's day-to-day operations contractor, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions.

Hands-on: New training facility advances plutonium pit production at SRS

The facility will make plutonium pits, which are bowling-ball-sized containers of plutonium-239 that quickly compress to spur the fission chain reaction that detonates nuclear weapons.

SRS historically has produced components for nuclear weapons since opening in the 1950s but in recent decades had pivoted to a nuclear waste management mission for the U.S. Department of Energy.

More than 3,000 workers could be onsite when construction is at its busiest, SRNS said. When the facility is finished, expected in December 2038, more than 2,000 people are expected to work there permanently.

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The government has said that the project is important for maintaining the nation's nuclear deterrent, to discourage other countries from attacking the United States.

"The approval to proceed with full construction of SRPPF is a monumental achievement – one that will have a tremendous impact on SRS and the region for years to come," said SRNS President and CEO Jeff Griffin.

Because the facility will need specially trained workers, SRS also is building a training center where employees can practice using equipment and learn how to safely handle materials before the new plant opens.

The High-Fidelity Training and Operations Center will offer training while the processing facility is under construction, according to SRNS.

The approved scope of the project is specified in a document called Critical Decision (CD)-2/3, which was signed Oct. 15.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Thousands of jobs tied to new Savannah River Site nuclear project

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