Westinghouse to base its nuclear battery operations in Etna

Nuclear power pioneer Westinghouse is expanding its footprint in Western Pennsylvania and renewing its commitment to nuclear innovation with a new facility in Etna.

Westinghouse signed a lease for an 87,420-square-foot building at 51 Bridge St. The Cranberry-based company plans to make the most critical component of its eVinci nuclear batteries there.

The batteries will be capable of producing portable nuclear energy for use in remote communities, disaster zones, mining sites and any other location in need of clean energy, company officials said.

Jon Ball, president of eVinci at Westinghouse, said the $18 million Etna facility will serve as the headquarters for eVinci and also make the batteries’ heat pipes, which are the most important component of the batteries.

Westinghouse CEO Patrick Fragman said the eVinci batteries will have a very diverse range of uses and be a “game changer” in the world of clean energy. Like all nuclear power, the eVinci batteries will produce emission-free energy.

“Saying we have high hopes for eVinci is an understatement,” Fragman said.

The Etna facility will support an estimated 43 jobs when fully up and running and be able to produce about six batteries a year by the end of the decade, Ball said. He said the batteries will use nuclear fuel to heat its components, which in turn will produce large amounts of energy.

Company officials said the batteries should be able to provide 5 megawatts of electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week for eight years uninterrupted without refueling. That amount of energy is the equivalent of about 10,750 tanker trucks of fossil fuel, officials said.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said his administration has allocated more than $1 million to the project and former Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration provided more than $3 million.

Westinghouse is announcing a new facility to manufacture nuclear batteries in Etna, just outside of Pittsburgh. Batteries should be able to make nuclear energy portable, potentially to disasters and other locations in need of power. Gov Shapiro is here to announce state support pic.twitter.com/si4gMNrjiP

— Ryan Deto (@RyanDeto) October 24, 2023

He said Westinghouse’s investment shows that Western Pennsylvania can remain a powerhouse in energy production while helping to decrease carbon emissions.

“We do not have to sacrifice a place in the energy economy in the name of climate change, and I believe that Westinghouse is an example of that,” Shapiro said.

The 51 Bridge St. facility was formerly used for pipe manufacturing. It was redeveloped into “tech flex” space with help from local tax incentives and state grants.

Westinghouse has deep roots in Western Pennsylvania, which includes creating the nation’s first commercial nuclear power plant in Beaver County.

Westinghouse filed for bankruptcy in 2017, but a rebirth in nuclear power appears to have helped the company turn things around. Last year, the company was sold for $7.8 billion to a Canadian private-equity consortium.

Shapiro said that in addition to the job growth in Etna, Westinghouse is committed to retaining its 3,100 employees at its facilities across Pennsylvania.

Ball said Westinghouse will begin work on eVinci so that the technology can undergo testing in Idaho within the next few years. If testing is successful, Westinghouse will start production in Etna, with hopes of expanding facilities if demand for the batteries increase.

He said the batteries address safety concerns because of their simplicity. Unlike most large nuclear power plants, the batteries don’t need water as part of their process, and they will operate largely autonomously and will shut themselves down when necessary.

Katie Huff, assistant secretary of the U.S. Office of Nuclear Energy, said Westinghouse is just one of three companies to be working on this portable nuclear power technology.

“We are excited to see Westinghouse in a race to bring advanced nuclear energy to development in an effort to fight climate change,” Huff said.