Savannah River Site
U.S. Department of Energy (operated by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions), Aiken, South Carolina
The Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina was built from 1951 to make tritium and plutonium-239 for nuclear weapons in five production reactors. It continues tritium work through facilities opened in 1994 and 2007 and is home to the planned Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility. Savannah River Nuclear Solutions manages the site for the Department of Energy.
- Company
- U.S. Department of Energy (operated by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions)
- Status
- Operating
- Opened
- 1951
- Employees
- Not stated
- Industry
- Aerospace and defense
- Revised
- November 12, 2026
What is made here
Built to produce tritium and plutonium-239 for nuclear weapons in five reactors; today processes tritium and plutonium and supports the nuclear deterrent.
Facts
| Origins | Site location announced in 1950 and construction began in 1951 (federal: public.srs.gov) |
|---|---|
| Original mission | Built to produce basic materials for nuclear weapons, primarily tritium and plutonium-239, with five reactors and chemical separations plants (federal: public.srs.gov) |
| Tritium facilities | The Replacement Tritium Facility started up in 1994 and the Tritium Extraction Facility opened in 2007 (federal: public.srs.gov) |
| Plutonium | The Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility received CD-1 approval in 2021; K Area surplus plutonium downblending reached 1 metric ton in 2025 (federal: public.srs.gov) |
Figures are as stated by the source named next to each one. Company figures are the company's own claims.
Can you visit?
We haven't found a public tour of this factory. See factory tours in South Carolina.
Sources
- Savannah River Site: About (federal, checked November 12, 2026)
Something changed? Send a correction with a link and we'll recheck it.