U.S. DOE Savannah River National Laboratory

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC (SRNS) is a Fluor partnership comprised of Fluor, Newport News Nuclear, and Honeywell, responsible for the management and operations of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site (SRS), including the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), located near Aiken, South Carolina. SRNL is a federally funded research and development center committed to safety, security and quality.

Client's Challenge

As the applied research and development laboratory at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Savannah River Site, SRNL serves the DOE and the nation by providing innovative solutions for DOE and other federal agencies across the country and around the world.

SRNL focuses on three major initiatives: national security, environmental stewardship and clean energy. The DOE selected a contractor that understood nuclear operations, applied research, and the development and deployment of cost effective technology solutions. The Fluor-led SRNS has successfully managed the lab at the Savannah River site for eight years.

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Fluor's Solution

Fluor is responsible for the management, operations and strategic directions of the SRNL. The laboratory has approximately 900 employees and conducts research and development for a diversified portfolio of federal agencies supporting national missions in environmental management, national security and clean energy. As the DOE Environmental Management Laboratory, SRNL provides scientific and technological strategic direction and program support for the nation’s legacy waste cleanup program.

The SRNL saw exciting discoveries and innovations in 2016.

In March, researchers at the SRNL and the University of Georgia announced the creation of a nanostructure that early experiments reveal could increase the efficiency of solar energy.

The scientists hypothesized that nanostructures fabricated from a core of iron oxide and coated with a shell of titanium dioxide would absorb more solar energy than traditional single-layer nanostructures. The findings may eventually lead to advances in a number of applications ranging from energy production to electronics.

In late June, the lab’s new thermal neutron source began operations. The first-of-a-kind neutron source replaces an aging facility at the lab using a Californium source which, because of its radioactive half-life, is beginning to see diminishing capabilities.

The thermal neutron source, more than three times more powerful than the existing capability, will be used to provide continuing analysis for corrosion control and other support to the National Nuclear Security Administration’s tritium mission, which the Savannah River Site carries out in support of the nation’s nuclear deterrence. The source will also support the Site’s radiochemistry program.

Conclusion

SRNL puts science to work, fulfilling the mission while continuing to set the safety benchmark for DOE labs.

Every year since being named a National Laboratory in 2004, SRNL has demonstrated the best safety record among all of the U.S. Department of Energy’s national labs. In February 2012, SRNL employees passed a major milestone in safety performance: 10 million safe hours. Subsequently in 2014, the DOE’s network of National Laboratories recognized SRNL as a safety leader.

SRNL is continuing its transformation from a technical support arm of SRS to a nationally recognized solutions provider, an active partner in SC academic and economic leadership, and a successful leader providing environmental remediation and intellectual assets to global customers.