The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) was constructed in 1952 to produce enriched uranium, initially for the nation’s nuclear weapons program and later for nuclear fuel for commercial power plants. The plant is owned by the Department of Energy (DOE), which oversees environmental cleanup activities at the site, including environmental remediation, waste management, depleted uranium conversion, and decontamination and decommissioning. Commercial enrichment was conducted under lease from 1993 until 2013 when operations ceased and the gaseous diffusion facilities were returned to the DOE Environmental Management (EM) program. EM has conducted extensive cleanup activities at the site since the late 1980s and is currently deactivating the returned plant facilities while continuing the aggressive remediation program being managed by its Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office.
Paducah News
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The U.S. Department of Energy’s Portsmouth Paducah Project Office has issued an Expression of Interest seeking input from industry on operationally mature technologies capable of supporting the potential reuse of approximately 9,700 tons of volumetrically contaminated nickel stored at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Paducah, Kentucky.November 21, 2025 -
Public tour participants heard firsthand accounts from past employees of the former gaseous diffusion plants at the Portsmouth and Paducah sites this year. November 18, 2025November 18, 2025 -
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management today issued a Request for Offer seeking proposals from companies to build and power AI data centers on DOE’s Paducah site.November 4, 2025 -
As the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management works to enable American energy and security, innovative approaches and strong partnerships at the Portsmouth and Paducah sites drive efforts to transform liabilities into assets to help unleash nuclear power.September 30, 2025