DoE Authorizes Full Construction of Savannah River Plutonium Facility

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration has authorized full construction of the main processing building at the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility in South Carolina. Approval of the relevant Critical Decision 2/3 milestone, announced in October 2026, allows major construction activity to proceed on infrastructure intended to manufacture plutonium pits for the American nuclear weapons stockpile. The project involves specialized nuclear material handling, processing and associated safety systems at the Savannah River Site. The authorization is a construction and project-management milestone; it does not indicate that the facility is complete, qualified for pit production or already supplying operational warheads.