AIKEN, S.C. (Sept. 29, 2026) – The Savannah River Site (SRS) recently hosted National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Principal Deputy Administrator Scott Pappano to view firsthand the tangible construction progress happening at the High-Fidelity Training and Operations Center (HFTOC) to advance the NNSA’s plutonium pit production mission.
Pappano attended a ribbon-cutting celebration on Sept. 16 for the first delivery of equipment used to train workers for pit production operations and met with SRS employees to reiterate the site’s importance to maintaining the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile and its deterrence mission.
“Progress at the HFTOC is what I expect construction to look like – parallel paths of pouring concrete, installing structural steel, and installation of new production equipment happening at the same time,” Pappano said. “The SRS team is doing great things out in the field. I appreciate their dedicated support and coordinated efforts to fast-track NNSA’s critical pit production mission.”
NNSA Principal Deputy Administrator Scott Pappano, center, attended a ribbon-cutting celebration inside the under-construction High-Fidelity Training and Operations Center (HFTOC) at the Savannah River Site to celebrate the first delivery of equipment used to train workers for pit production operations. Pictured are, from left, Matthew Nuckols, President, Strategic Management Solutions; Brian Pool, HFTOC Director, SRNS; Jeff Griffin, President and CEO, SRNS; Mike Basham, Senior Vice President of SRPPF Project Execution and SRPPF Project Director, SRNS; Pappano; Steve Warden, NNSA Acting Director, Savannah River Project Management Office, Office of Infrastructure; Tim Fischer, NNSA Acting Manager, Savannah River Field Office; Mike Rinehart, President, Kiewit Nuclear Solutions; and Josh Patterson, Senior Vice President, Kiewit Nuclear Solutions.
The HFTOC is being constructed as a subproject of the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility (SRPPF) project at SRS and will be a non-nuclear training and operations support facility used to accelerate the re-establishment of large-scale plutonium pit manufacturing in the United States.
SRS management and operations contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) – working in cooperation with NNSA – has embraced a transformative approach to accelerate non-nuclear, non-complex construction projects with the implementation of commercial requirements paired with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)+ safety standards. This critical modernization effort, designed to ensure timely project delivery without compromising safety or mission readiness, was piloted by the HFTOC subproject.
NNSA Principal Deputy Administrator Scott Pappano, center, views construction progress inside the HFTOC at SRS.
“The adoption of commercial construction practices has already proven to be extremely beneficial for the HFTOC subproject by increasing flexibility, competition, and execution efficiency,” said SRNS President and CEO Jeff Griffin. “As SRS faces an era of unprecedented mission demand to support NNSA priorities, a more streamlined design and construction model allows SRNS to better align its non-nuclear activities with the Nuclear Security Enterprise.”
NNSA Principal Deputy Administrator Scott Pappano pictured with NNSA and SRNS leadership, along with HFTOC subcontractors.
SRNS has partnered with subcontractors Kiewit, Enercon, and Strategic Management Solutions to deliver construction of the HFTOC. Construction activities include concrete flooring replacement, procurement and installation of commodities and equipment, and activities related to startup, commissioning, and turnover to operations. The original concrete flooring was removed to install under-slab utilities and rebar to strengthen the new flooring to allow for process system installation. To date, over 3,000 cubic yards of new concrete have been placed, more than 14,800 linear feet of conduit and piping was configured, and over 430 tons of rebar and structural steel have been installed. Full construction of the HFTOC began in early 2026, with completion forecast in 2028.
SRNS Senior Vice President and SRPPF Project Director Mike Basham highlighted several examples of how thoughtfully tailored commercial construction practices have made a significant impact.
“Applying proven commercial approaches has broadened the available subcontractor base, increased opportunities for competitive pricing, and reduced reliance on traditional delivery methods that can constrain capacity,” Basham said. “For example, the HFTOC team adjusted design to secure a long lead electrical transformer off the shelf, more than a year earlier than expected. The team also received early delivery of the first HFTOC operations equipment in half the anticipated fabrication time. The equipment was originally estimated to require 23 months for fabrication; however, through implementing commercial strategies to expand the manufacturing base, the equipment was delivered in 11 months, two months ahead of the baselined delivery dates.”
SRPPF is part of the NNSA’s two-site strategy to produce no fewer than 80 plutonium pits per year in accordance with federal law. Plutonium pits are essential components in nuclear weapons. The pits will be produced at facilities at SRS and Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. The two-site strategy provides an effective, responsive, and resilient nuclear weapons infrastructure with the flexibility to adapt to shifting national security requirements.