OAK RIDGE, Tennessee – The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) Uranium Processing Facility (UPF) Project continues to make progress with the recent completion of a new electrical substation at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

The completion of the $60 million substation six months ahead of schedule and $13 million under budget marks another major milestone in the UPF Project, which will replace an early-Cold War plant with a modern, more efficient, and safer facility for conducting highly enriched uranium operations at Y-12.

“UPF is a vital part of modernizing our nuclear infrastructure to meet national security needs now and well into the future,” said Lisa E. Gordon-Hagerty, DOE Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and NNSA Administrator. “The new substation will provide reliable power to both UPF and Y-12 as they carry out our Nation’s critical missions.”

The substation replaces an aging facility that does not meet today’s standards and is reaching the end of its service life. The Tennessee Valley Authority designed and built the substation.

Using a “build to budget” strategy, NNSA has committed to Congress to deliver UPF by the end of 2025 for no more than $6.5 billion, assuming stable funding through the duration of the project. UPF is being built through a series of seven subprojects. The first two, Site Readiness and Site Infrastructure and Services, were also completed on time and under budget.