DOE Grants $88.8M to Hensel Phelps for Stable Isotope Facility at Oak Ridge National Lab

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a substantial contract to Hensel Phelps for the development of a new stable isotope production facility. This new center, based at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), carries an $88.8 million price tag and is slated to extend over a single-story span of 64,000 square feet. According to the

ORNL announcement

, the construction of the U.S. Stable Isotope Production and Research Center (SIPRC) is projected to be fully complete by Spring 2027.

Funded through the DOE’s Isotope Program (IP), the SIPRC aims to reinvigorate the nation’s capability to independently meet an increasing demand for stable isotopes. These materials are integral not just in the medical sector, but also in industry, scientific research, and national security. Since 1998, the U.S. has not operated a broad-scope enrichment capability and relies on imports as existing reserves wane. DOE IP Director Christopher Landers remarked, “DOE IP is committed to the production of high-priority stable isotopes that are crucial to meet U.S. needs, support scientific advancement and bolster the technical strength of the Nation,” as noted by

ORNL

.

Located on the southeast edge of ORNL’s main campus, a site now ready after completion of preliminary groundwork, the SIPRC was formally launched last year with a groundbreaking ceremony in October. The facility’s construction coincides with a larger $325 million project investment, signaling the DOE’s steadfast endeavor to scale up domestic isotope production.

ORNL Director Stephen Streiffer is confident in the laboratory’s capacity to be a reliable producer of the requisite isotopes. In a statement obtained by

ORNL,

Streiffer said, “This facility will be a critical source of specific, stable enriched isotopes for the nation now and in the future.” It seems ORNL’s legacy in isotope production, paired with its specialized facilities and expertise, will play a major role in progressing DOE’s isotope mission through state-of-the-art research and technology.

A decade-long research and prototype phase at ORNL has spawned two types of isotope enrichment equipment set to be housed at the SIPRC. With these installations, the facility will simultaneously enrich multiple stable isotopes from various elements on the periodic table. UT-Battelle’s stewardship of ORNL is under the aegis of the DOE’s Office of Science.

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