Gov. Lee Announces Orano USA Seeks To Locate Uranium Enrichment Operations in Oak Ridge

Press Release

Today, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced Orano USA has selected Oak Ridge, Tennessee, as the preferred site to construct a new, multi-billion-dollar, state-of-the-art centrifuge uranium enrichment facility.

The uranium enrichment center will be a multi-structure commercial production site covering approximately 750,000 square feet, making it one of the largest in North America. Facility operations will create more than 300 new direct jobs in Roane County.

“Our administration created the Nuclear Energy Fund in partnership with the Tennessee General Assembly to support and expand the state’s nuclear ecosystem, and in the last six months, we’ve announced four projects that will further strengthen Tennessee’s position as a leader in safe, clean, and reliable energy for the future,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “Tennessee is the number one state for nuclear energy companies to invest and thrive, and we are proud to partner with Orano to lead America’s energy independence and drive continued economic growth and greater opportunity for Tennesseans.”

With U.S. headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, and global headquarters in Paris, France, Orano is a leading technology and services provider for the commercial and federal nuclear industries. The company specializes in uranium mining, conversion and enrichment, used nuclear fuel management and recycling, decommissioning shutdown nuclear energy facilities, federal site clean-up and closure and developing nuclear medicines to fight cancer.

Orano will be the second company to locate in Tennessee utilizing the Nuclear Energy Fund, which assists nuclear energy-related businesses choosing to relocate or grow in the Volunteer State and supports the state’s universities and research institutions in further developing their nuclear education programs.

Gov. Lee, in partnership with the General Assembly, established the Nuclear Energy Fund in the state’s Fiscal Year 2023-2024 budget. An additional $10 million was appropriated in the state’s budget in Fiscal Year 2024-2025.

The Orano project was vetted and recommend by the Education and Workforce subgroup, part of the 22-member Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council, established in Executive Order 101. The council includes members of the Lee administration, the Tennessee General Assembly, Tennessee’s Congressional Delegation and key nuclear industry stakeholders.

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