OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — A Seattle-based company that makes nuclear reactors announced Wednesday it would build a new manufacturing facility in Oak Ridge.
The Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation announced it would spend around $13 million to build a new Pilot Fuel Manufacturing facility in the East Tennessee Technology Park. They said around 31 people would be employed over the next 5 years to run it.
The new facility will focus on making "Fully Ceramic Microencapsulated" nuclear fuel as well as materials meant to withstand extremely high temperatures made out of silicon carbide. The two products will be used in the company's modular reactors, and for other kinds of reactor designs, according to officials.
Since the new manufacturing facility will be located close to Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex, the company said it hopes to hire people in Oak Ridge who are trained in making and handling nuclear fuel.
The Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation also has operations in Canada, France, Poland, South Africa, South Korea and the U.K. The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development said it is American-owned and privately funded.