Oak Ridge National Laboratory Constructs Stable Isotope Production and Research Center

The U.S. Department of Energy is constructing the Stable Isotope Production and Research Center (SIPRC) on the main campus of Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. Designed by Gresham Smith, the $325 million facility will address a critical need for stable isotopes in medicine, science, industry, and security. SIPRC will be the nation’s first domestic production facility for enriched stable isotopes since 1998 and will reduce current dependence on diminishing reserves and foreign suppliers. 

Enabling the future expansion of infrastructure and equipment, the 64,000-sf building will house two varieties of isotope enrichment equipment which will allow for the simultaneous enrichment of multiple stable isotopes from across the periodic table. These technologies were designed by ORNL and have been extensively researched, prototyped, demonstrated, and developed over more than ten years. The single-story center will accommodate a Class 1000 cleanroom, a high bay space with an overhead crane, and multiple full-scale production lines. Offering enrichment capabilities for molybdenum-98/100, SIPRC will also support future R&D on silicon-28.

Extensive site surveys led to a strategic plan to minimize local environmental impact, resulting in the relocation of an entrance road to protect a wetland used by multiple salamander species. Native grasses will be planted as a buffer between the facility and woods, complemented by new oak saplings to compensate for cleared trees.

Hensel Phelps was awarded the $88.8 million construction contract for the project, and Gresham Smith is providing engineering services. Ground was broken in October of 2022 and occupancy is expected in spring of 2027.