Westinghouse Explores Growth Opportunities in Richland County

Westinghouse Electric Company – a global supplier of safe and innovative nuclear technology – is evaluating a potential expansion of operations in Hopkins, South Carolina as part of its long-term planning efforts.

Planning efforts within our existing 1,151-acre site are focused on the potential development of additional manufacturing capabilities, which may include a new facility designed to incorporate advanced technologies with a continued emphasis on safety and environmental stewardship. These efforts are intended to support our people, our neighbors, and the surrounding environment, while positioning the site to meet future business and industry needs.

If advanced, these plans would support workforce development through job creation, training, and advancement opportunities, and help ensure the continued supply of safe, reliable fuel for the nation’s nuclear power plants as they deliver around-the-clock clean energy. Learn more about our plant, the fuel we manufacture, current capabilities, and ongoing engagement with our local communities.

Our Operations

Westinghouse has a long history in South Carolina – dating back to the 1969. Today, our Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility (CFFF) in Hopkins is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the world.

The site currently houses fuel manufacturing facilities, engineering and testing laboratories – all supporting the creation of innovative products to help satisfy the country’s growing demand for clean, reliable electricity. This includes 550,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space.

We strive to be the industry's most responsive supplier of flawless, value-added fuel products and services. To do so, Westinghouse is committed to safety and quality while meeting customer needs and expectations. We also remain committed to being a good neighbor to the Lower Richland community. Learn more about our work in the community here.

Our New Facility

Planning efforts include a potential new manufacturing facility to be located within Westinghouse’s existing property boundaries. If advanced, the facility would support the continued production of safe and reliable nuclear fuel to help meet future clean-energy needs in South Carolina and across the nation.

Ways this project will support a cleaner and more sustainable environment:

• Less liquid and gas effluents produced compared to our current operations
• Energy efficient facility upgrades; use of energy efficient equipment and automation
• Conservation landscaping, including native plant gardens that provide habitats for wildlife, promote healthy air quality, conserve and clean water, and promote healthy soils
• Commitment to no development on the 600+ acres on the southern property boundary

South Carolina Leads the Way with Next-Generation of Fuel

Did You Know … ? Nuclear power plants produce about 20 percent of all the electricity generated in the U.S. About 10 percent of all U.S. electricity comes from nuclear fuel manufactured by Westinghouse at CFFF.

For more than 55 years, Westinghouse has provided innovative nuclear fuel products from its Hopkins site to power plants across the United States. As part of its long-term planning and technology development efforts, the company is progressing work related to advanced nuclear fuel, including Low-Enriched Uranium Plus (LEU+).

LEU+ Fuel Explained:

• Electric Utility needs:
• Electric utility companies around the U.S. are facing growing electricity demands from households and businesses.
• Currently, nuclear power plants utilize our existing fuel assemblies to generate reliable electricity for the public and must replace these fuel assemblies every 18 months. This occurs in a process called a refueling outage, during which a nuclear power plant temporarily shuts down for a short period of time to replace a portion of its fuel assemblies.
• With LEU+ fuel, nuclear power plants can produce more carbon-free energy longer and more reliably by extending their refueling outages to 24 month-cycles. Additionally, LEU+ fuel can increase a nuclear power plant’s safety performance while operating at increased power levels.
• The power of uranium:
• Nuclear power plants use uranium to generate electricity. It’s full of energy! In fact, one small pellet of uranium – about the size of a thimble – contains the same energy equal to one ton of coal, 149 gallons of oil, or 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas.
• Uranium & LEU+ fuel:
• At CFFF, we manufacture uranium fuel pellets and stack them into larger fuel assemblies that are used in nuclear power reactors to generate electricity for the country.
• Now, we have created innovative processes to utilize fuel pellets with higher concentration levels of uranium than what is currently used in commercial power reactors. LEU+ will extend power reactor operations from 18 to 24-month cycles, which in turn will provide a more reliable and stable supply of electricity to the country.