GE Vernova to invest in North Carolina fuel operations

Friday, 31 January 2025

The investment in GE Hitachi's manufacturing site will be used to enhance safety, quality and productivity and to launch its next generation nuclear fuel design for the company's BWRX-300 small modular reactor. "Expanding capacity of the fuel manufacturing operation further positions the BWRX-300 as the most ready to deploy advanced reactor on the market," GE Vernova said.

The investment will also go towards expanding automation at the plant, which produces fuel for many of the USA's boiling water reactors, "strongly positioning it for the future as the demand for nuclear energy increases globally, particularly as several US utilities restart retired plants."

The new investments are expected to create more than 1500 new jobs and help drive US energy affordability, national security, and competitiveness, the company said. The investments are the largest since GE Vernova was spun off from GE in April last year, and with worldwide energy needs forecast to double, will help to meet soaring customer demand, strengthen domestic supply chains, and continue developing US technology, the company said. They are the first part of a larger USD9 billion cumulative global capex and R&D investment plan over the next three years announced by the company in December.

"These investments represent our serious commitment and responsibility as the leading energy manufacturer in the United States to help meet America's and the world's accelerating energy demand," said GE Vernova CEO Scott Strazik. "These strategic investments and the jobs they create aim to both help our customers meet the doubling of demand and accelerate American innovation and technology development to boost the country's energy security and global competitiveness."

GE Hitachi's Wilmington operations include the production of zircalloy components, uranium dioxide powder and pellets, and fuel assemblies for the boiling water reactor market.