Demolition Giant Takes on Portsmouth’s X-333 Process Building

EMTV: Crews recently unleashed the “Empress,” a modified excavator, for demolition of the X-333 Process Building. With a cutting force of 3,300 tons, the equipment easily slices through the building’s steel framework.

Specialized equipment to support clearing space for future industry

PIKETON, Ohio — Demolition crews recently unleashed equipment, dubbed locally as the “Empress,” to begin tearing through the steel framework of the X-333 Process Building at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Portsmouth Site.

Consisting of an oversized excavator specially made to withstand the weight of heavy shears, the Empress provides an arm long enough to reach the top of the 82-foot-tall former uranium enrichment facility. With a cutting force of 3,300 tons, the equipment easily slices through the building’s steel framework.

“It was exciting to see the demolition plan come together, and the power of the Empress,” said Federal Project Director Christy Brown. “The capability and shearing strength of the equipment will allow us to complete the demolition safely and efficiently.”

Recent key arrivals for demolition work at the Portsmouth Site included a 770-ton crane and the first of two specially modified excavators. The crane was used to offload and assemble the excavator body.

The Portsmouth Site is decontaminating and demolishing buildings to create space for future industry, such as artificial intelligence infrastructure and nuclear energy opportunities. Accelerating cleanup helps pave the way to create generational jobs and build long-term economic vitality in the local community.

The largest of the three process buildings at the site, X-333 has 66 acres of floor space under roof. The building once housed the largest pieces of the site’s enrichment equipment, including converters that weighed as much as 66,000 pounds each. Crews demolished the X-326 Process Building in 2022.

In the X-333 project, the shears, the first of two excavators and other equipment to assist with demolition arrived at the Portsmouth Site over the past several months. Getting the excavator and other pieces to the site was a logistical transportation feat requiring approximately 25 trucks and several weeks to navigate.

“It took several days of work to assemble and position our new excavator,” said Joe Saltsman, director of Demolition and Balance of Plant for deactivation and demolition contractor Southern Ohio Cleanup Company. “It arrived aboard a 130-foot, 13-axle trailer, and the second one is not far behind.”

Federal Project Director Christy Brown poses with Deactivation, Demolition, Balance of Plant, and Soils Manager Hoss Brown during the first use of the “Empress,” a large, modified excavator used for demolishing the X-333 Process Building.

Construction Manager David Lipinski ensured the machine’s weight of about 240 tons would support the heavy-duty shears necessary for the task.

“The opportunity to witness this machine in action — able to shear an I-beam with three-inch flanges in half — is something truly unique,” said Lipinski.

Demolition of X-333 began in April 2025 and is scheduled for completion in 2031. Team members will look for opportunities to safely accelerate the schedule.

-Contributor: Michelle Teeters