(The Center Square) - Baton Rouge-based Turner Industries is relocating its nuclear fabrication business from Paris, Texas to plants in New Iberia and Port Allen, Louisiana, a move that could position the state as a key hub in the nation’s emerging nuclear energy supply chain.
Gov. Jeff Landry announced the company’s move Tuesday at the Louisiana Nuclear Strategy & Supply Chain Summit in New Orleans, an event presented by utility Entergy, private equity firm Bernhardt Capital Partners, and Applied Atomics, a nuclear power developer founded by former executives at SpaceX.
The inaugural summit is part of a plan aimed at establishing Louisiana as a hub for nuclear manufacturing and supply chain activity. The event is sponsored by Louisiana Economic Development (LED) and the state’s Department of Conservation and Energy.
“Turner Industries has been a cornerstone of our state’s industrial strength for decades, and this expansion puts Louisiana workers at the center of building the next generation of nuclear power,” Governor Landry said. “This is about good-paying jobs, American energy security and making sure the future of this industry is powered right here in Louisiana.”
The company expects to hire 1,000 people at an average salary of $77,000 at the plants, while economic development agency LED estimates the creation of an additional 1,378 indirect jobs.
The nuclear-grade piping produced at the Port Allen plant and the high-precision modules that make up nuclear plants manufactured and shipped from the Port of Iberia facility will both be compliant with Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) rules governing the development of Small Modular Reactors, or SMRs, LED said in a release.
Turner said the plant in Paris, Texas, which has manufactured piping for a variety of industrial sectors over 25 years, will be narrowed in scope to handle general fabrication.
“Turner Industries has a 65-year legacy of supporting the energy sector, and today we are leaning into the future of American energy independence,” said the company’s CEO, Stephen Toups. “These Louisiana facilities and their capabilities represent a commitment in our workforce and our state. By specializing in modular fabrication and ASME Section III certified piping, we are ensuring that much of the next wave of nuclear innovation is ‘Built in Louisiana,’” Toups said.
Louisiana’s nuclear strategy is backed by a $45 million federal grant for the state’s FUEL initiative, led by LSU, comprised of more than 50 partners committed to developing the workforce and technology required for America’s next generation of nuclear power.
The energy sciences departments at River Parish Community College’s Gonzales and Plaquemine campuses, alongside SOWELA Technical Community College in Lake Charles, will provide the specialized training in ASME Section III certified fabrication and modular assembly for the 1,000 new workers."
The New Iberia facility has been engineered to handle the extreme weight of nuclear modules, with a specialized dock capable of loading out finished sections weighing up to 12 million pounds—roughly the equivalent of 30 loaded Boeing 747s.
“The fact that Turner Industries chose the Port of Iberia over 29 other coastal ports speaks to how important our port infrastructure is,” said Craig Romero, the port’s executive director. “This will be a tremendous opportunity for all of Acadiana, as we support Turner Industries in securing the most significant industrial construction opportunities of the future,” Romero said.
