NAVFAC Southeast Awards $110 M Contract for Nuclear Power Training Facilities at Joint Base Charleston

By Sue Brink, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast Public Affairs

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast awarded a $110 million firm-fixed-price contract August 20 to Caddell Construction Co. of Montgomery, Alabama, for construction of nuclear power training facilities for Nuclear Power Training Unit (NPTU) Charleston at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina.

The contract calls for the construction of a new multi-story, training operation facility, construction of a single story secured area entry control point and construction of an extension for the north pier.

"The Navy's commitment to deliver this state of the art training facility will help us fuel the professional pride and technical excellence we expect of our current and future nuclear operators" says Capt. Robert E. Hudson, commanding officer of NPTU Charleston.

The mission of NPTU Charleston is to qualify Naval officers and enlisted personnel in the operation, maintenance and supervision of naval nuclear propulsion plants in support of Fleet operations. The training and certification takes approximately six months of practical instruction under the close supervision of qualified staff. Currently NPTU Charleston trains and certifies approximately half of the personnel (officer and enlisted) needed to operate the U.S. Navy's reactor plants on nuclear-powered warships (i.e., all commissioned submarines and aircraft carriers). The other half are trained at a similar facility in Ballston Spa, New York. This construction project supports modernization and expansion of the facilities at NPTU Charleston and is a key piece of the Navy's overall strategy to proactively reinvest in the elite nuclear training pipeline.

The contract also contains unexercised options and planned modifications, which if exercised and/or issued would increase the cumulative contract value to $157.8 million. The options include the renovation of an existing multi-story training support building and the construction of an additional new multi-story, training support facility. The contract also provides for furniture, fixtures, and equipment in the two planned modifications.

The project is in Goose Creek, South Carolina and is expected to be completed by June 2018.