LYNCHBURG, Va. – On Thursday, Framatome officially opened the doors to its newly upgraded facility on Mill Ridge Road in Lynchburg. The $50 million expansion is partially designed to support the development of small modular reactors (SMRs)— compact, factory-built nuclear units that industry leaders say could be faster and cheaper to build than traditional nuclear plants.
“For us, this is monumental,” said Framatome CEO, Tony Robinson. “It’s exciting to bring people new to nuclear, new to Lynchburg, new to the company and help train them, capture their hearts and minds into the culture, and into the processes and activities that we do. Because I tell our employees all the time, what we do here makes a difference.”
The expansion is expected to create 500 new jobs in the Lynchburg area and bolster Virginia’s clean energy footprint. The facility also includes a dedicated nuclear training center to prepare workers for servicing both existing reactors and the next generation of small modular designs.
Governor Glenn Youngkin attended the ribbon-cutting and praised the project as a major economic and energy win for the Commonwealth.
“We competed against other states and won,” Youngkin said. “And I was just so proud that Virginia was once again able to secure such a large investment and new jobs.”
Following the event, Youngkin added in a statement, “Framatome’s investment in Lynchburg is a powerful endorsement of the Commonwealth’s pro-business climate, world-class workforce, and leadership in advanced energy technologies,”
Small modular reactors are gaining attention across the globe as a potential solution to rising power demands from AI data centers and industrial users. While traditional nuclear plants can take years and billions of dollars to build, SMRs are designed for faster, more flexible deployment.
Still, hurdles remain, including federal regulatory approvals and building broader public trust in nuclear technology. But Framatome believes the Lynchburg expansion is a critical step forward.
“Today’s event is showing our commitment to our community, to our employees, and our commitment to nuclear in the future,” Robinson said. “This is the start of the future of many decades to come of nuclear support.”
Framatome says this investment is only the beginning, with more upgrades and job opportunities expected in the years ahead.