NNSA approves Critical Decision 1 for Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility

WASHINGTON – The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) announced the approval of the Critical Decision 1 (CD-1) milestone for the recommended approach to produce at least 50 plutonium pits per year for the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility (SRPPF) project at the Savannah River Site (SRS).

CD-1 approval marks the completion of the project definition phase and the conceptual design as part of DOE’s Order 413.3B process for the acquisition of capital assets.

The CD-1 cost estimate for SRPPF is $6.9 - $11.1 billion, with an overall project completion range of 2032-2035. The CD-1 cost estimate and project completion date ranges are preliminary estimates that will be refined as the project conceptual design is matured to the 90% design level required to achieve CD-2 (approval of the performance baseline). Consistent with industry best practices and DOE policy, NNSA will set the performance cost and schedule baseline at CD-2, which is expected in FY 2024.

NNSA and Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) will continue to review this project to improve the fidelity of the current price estimate and schedule.