# DOE Expands Isotope Production at Oak Ridge

The U.S. Department of Energy and Oak Ridge National Laboratory are rebuilding U.S. stable-isotope enrichment capacity using electromagnetic and gas-centrifuge technologies. Construction is underway on ORNL’s Stable Isotope Production and Research Center, with phased operations planned for 2028. The expanded capability is intended to support applications in medicine, quantum computing, national security, and diagnostics; the signal does not identify a contract value, award, or active solicitation.

- Construction and future scale-up may create procurement needs in facility work, automation, AI/ML, processing chemistry, and research support. Contractors with relevant capabilities can assess their fit for these areas.
- The project indicates federal investment in domestic isotope production capacity, with potential relevance to suppliers serving medical, research, and national-security applications.
- Isotope availability inquiries are directed to DOE’s National Isotope Development Center (NIDC); businesses seeking isotope supply information can use that channel.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Construction & Infrastructure
**Topics:** Physical Infrastructure
**Published:** October 07, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
- DOE Office of Science (SC)
- DOE National Isotope Development Center (NIDC)

### Vendors
- UT-Battelle (prime contractor (ORNL laboratory manager))

### Sources
- [DOE expands stable isotope production capabilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory – Oak Ridge National Lab](https://www.ornl.gov/news/doe-expands-stable-isotope-production-capabilities-oak-ridge-national-laboratory/) - ORNL