BWX Technologies awarded $1B nuclear propulsion contract

A subsidiary of Lynchburg-based nuclear fuel supplier BWX Technologies Inc. (BWXT) was awarded approximately $1 billion in contracts from the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program for the manufacturing of naval nuclear reactor components, the company announced Monday, bringing the company’s naval nuclear propulsion contracts up to nearly $4 billion. 

BWXT Nuclear Operations Group Inc. will manufacture nuclear reactor components for Ford-class carrier construction, which will be constructed at four BWXT locations in Lynchburg, Ohio and Indiana.

The $1 billion award is in addition to $2.9 billion in submarine reactor component and fuel manufacturing and long-lead materials contracts announced last year. The Navy expects to award one more contract option later this year, subject to appropriations by the U.S. Congress. 

“We are proud to provide nuclear propulsion systems that enable U.S. Navy sailors and aviators to protect freedom around the globe,” BWXT President and CEO Rex D. Geveden said in a statement. “We appreciate the U.S. Navy’s continued trust in our employees and our capability to perform this important work.”

In October 2019, the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program awarded an $806 million contract to BWXT Nuclear Operations, which was in addition to an agreement with the program on new contracts totaling approximately $2.1 billion, including future-year options. Last week, BWXT was awarded a $3.6 million contract from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.

The company has approximately 6,600 employees across 12 major operating sites in the U.S. and Canada. BXWT also provides management and operations at the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).