The first phase of construction of a non-nuclear operations training facility has started at the Savannah River Site (SRS).
A news release from Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) said the High-Fidelity Training and Operations Center (HFTOC) is a component of the plutonium pit production mission on-site.
“The SRPPF Project team has now started work to transform the existing HFTOC building into a key asset for the pit production mission. SRNS is collaborating with NNSA and our partners as we work with a sense of urgency to deliver on this national security mission,” the release quoted Mike Basham, SRNS Senior Vice President and SRPPF Project Director.
The need to provide skilled labor for this construction project is where the Augusta Building and Construction Trades Council and Aiken Technical College come into play.
“Our involvement has been trying to help identify, you know, people that are interested in construction work and get them up-skilled, Chad Crumbaker, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Workforce Innovation, told ABD.
Projects such as this one were a driving force behind Aiken Tech’s creation of the pre-construction apprenticeship program. Crumbaker said the trades council will help those who are hired develop the skilled crafts that are needed, but the Aiken Tech students will be one of the first steps in that workforce pipeline.
“The things that we focus on are trying to find people in our community that have three things: interest, aptitude, and commitment to the work, Crumbaker explained. “And so that’s really the focus of our pre-apprenticeship construction program. Who might be interested in these careers? When you find out more about it, you have an aptitude, you like it, and you’re good at it.”
Those who complete the five-week program will also be a step closer to certifications required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
While Aiken Tech’s pre-construction apprenticeship program will help fuel the workforce pipeline for the immediate need at SRPPF, it will also develop a new generation of trades workers.
“There’s tremendously skilled trades folks that are that are about to retire, or have retired, and the more we can transfer that skill set to the next generation that are going to do all these construction projects that we’re seeing, the long term economic development, things that we’re seeing in the whole CSRA, the better off we’re all going to be,” said Crumbaker.
This will benefit projects underway at SRS; however, students who complete the pre-certification apprenticeship program will also be in demand for employers across the CSRA. Aiken Tech offers diploma and certificate classes in technical programs, welding, industrial maintenance, machine tool technology, and HVAC.
Demolition work will be done on a 103,000 square foot structure that will be the HFTOC. After that, ventilation, gas, and electrical systems will be installed. The initial stages of the construction include planning, permits, and site preparation.
The training facility will allow operators to learn pit production techniques in advance of SRPPF being operational. That production will be in the failed mixed oxide (MOX) facility at SRS, which is being repurposed for the mission.
“SRNS subcontractor Enercon has completed the 90% HFTOC design, and SRNS has issued a Limited Notice to Proceed to subcontractor Kiewit to begin site prep for the HFTOC,” said Brian Pool, SRNS HFTOC Project Director.
Work on the HFTOC is expected to be completed by the late 2020s. The target to begin pit production is 2035.
“The challenge in front of the SRPPF mission is to deliver the First Production Unit as quickly as possible and urgently ramp up to meet the nation’s stockpile needs by reaching rate production,” said Lee Sims, SRNS Senior Vice President, Plutonium Operations and Programs.
More than 4,000 employees are expected to be involved in the SRPPF construction project. Once operational, the mission will employ 2,000 people.
