Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory is a government-owned research facility in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, operated by Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy, designing naval nuclear propulsion plants and training reactor operators for the U.S. Navy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1948
- HeadquartersWest Mifflin, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory does
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory is one of the primary research laboratories operated by Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC (FMP), a wholly owned subsidiary of Fluor Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP). Established in 1948 in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, on the site of Pittsburgh's first airfield (named after Lt. Cyrus K. Bettis), Bettis is part of the Naval Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) network of nearly 8,000 engineers, scientists, technicians, and support personnel distributed across five primary sites plus shipyard field assignments. Bettis led the engineering, design, procurement, and construction of the world's first naval nuclear propulsion plant installed on USS NAUTILUS and continues to provide design and engineering support for NIMITZ Class aircraft carriers and SEAWOLF Class fast attack submarines.
The laboratory's core capabilities span naval nuclear propulsion reactor design, propulsion plant engineering, spent fuel processing, fleet support engineering, and nuclear operator training. Its technology base includes additive manufacturing using laser and electron beam processes to build parts from digital 3D models, rapid prototyping (selective deposition lamination and FDM with thousandths-of-an-inch resolution), immersive VR training systems with visual, audio, and touch stimulation, and dedicated prototype reactor test facilities. Bettis is the laboratory lead for the reactor plant design effort for the next-generation FORD Class aircraft carriers. Sister sites under NNL handle VIRGINIA Class and COLUMBIA Class ballistic missile submarine reactor design (Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory), Naval Reactors Facility spent fuel management in Idaho, and Nuclear Power Training Unit operations in Charleston.
Bettis operates as a government-owned, contractor-operated (GOCO) facility under cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts between FMP and the DOE/Navy. The business model is entirely government contracting with no commercial distribution channels or product sales. The sole customers are the U.S. Navy and the Department of Energy, both under the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. Marketing is limited to talent acquisition (career fairs, university partnerships, veteran hiring, and digital recruiting channels). In May 2025, NNL deployed Oracle Fusion Cloud as its new enterprise business system. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory
- Legal name
- Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory
- Website
- https://navalnuclearlab.energy.gov
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1948
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory is a government-owned research facility in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, operated by Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy, designing naval nuclear propulsion plants and training reactor operators for the U.S. Navy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Naval Nuclear Propulsion Engineering
- NAICS
- Nuclear Electric Power Generation (221113), Turbine and Turbine Generator Set Units Manufacturing (333611), Pump and Compressor Manufacturing (33391)
- SIC
- Engines & Turbines (3510), Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Reactor Vessel, Internals & Primary Circuit Components (RPV, piping, pumps, valves) (EUAKADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Spent Fuel Management Engineering, Consulting & Digital Tools (Thermal/Shielding/Criticality, QA) (EUAKAHAL), Research & Test Reactor Operations (Non-Commercial Power) (EUACADAH), In-Core & Ex-Core Instrumentation (Neutron Flux, Temperature, Pressure, Vibration) (EUAKADAL)
Keywords
Where Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- West Mifflin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Government Contracts (DOE/DOD): Operated for the U.S. Department of Energy by Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC under government contracts. Revenue derived from cost-plus-fixed-fee arrangements with DOE and Navy funding. Multiple procurement document types indicate fixed-price orders, cost-plus-fixed-fee orders, and various contract structures.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, operated as part of the Naval Nuclear Laboratory by Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy, designs advanced naval nuclear propulsion plants for submarines and aircraft carriers, conducts technology development, processes spent nuclear fuel, provides fleet support engineering, and trains Navy nuclear operators. It serves as the laboratory lead for the next-generation FORD Class aircraft carrier reactor plant design and supports NIMITZ and SEAWOLF Class platforms.
Product overview
The Naval Nuclear Laboratory (which includes Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory and other sites) operates as a unified portfolio of nuclear propulsion products and services for the U.S. Navy. The core offerings include: Propulsion Plant Design for submarines and aircraft carriers; Technology Development leveraging state-of-the-art technologies and test facilities; Spent Fuel Processing for safe storage; Fleet Support for readiness and operational capability; and Navy Training via simulators, training tools, and facilities. Specific product lines include NIMITZ Class aircraft carrier support, SEAWOLF Class fast attack submarine support, and FORD Class next-generation aircraft carrier reactor plant design (Bettis lead); VIRGINIA Class and COLUMBIA Class submarine reactor design (Knolls lead); Nuclear Power Training Unit operations in Charleston; and Naval Reactors Facility spent fuel management in Idaho. The company maintains five primary locations and operates under Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC for the Department of Energy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Propulsion Plant Design
Companies that use Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Nuclear Power Training Unit-CharlestoncoreNPTU Charleston provides training for Navy nuclear operators using moored training ships (decommissioned submarines converted to training platforms). NNL provides reactor operations training engineers who participate in training alongside naval nuclear officers.
- Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. (BPMI)coreBPMI has been the dedicated prime contractor since the late 1950s for engineering, procurement, and technical oversight of naval nuclear components. BPMI is responsible for the design, purchase, quality control, and delivery of major propulsion plant components for installation in nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, submarines, and prototype plants. Locations in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Schenectady, New York.
- Medical University of South CarolinacoreAdministers the Admiral Hyman Rickover Graduate Fellowship Program in Nuclear Engineering for NNPP research efforts.
- Krell InstitutecoreAdministers the Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship Program (CSGFP) for NNPP.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Huntington Ingalls Industries / Newport News Shipbuilding: Builds U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carriers (FOR Class, NIMITZ Class) and submarines, integrating Bettis-designed reactor plants. Comparable in supporting naval nuclear propulsion but as the shipbuilder rather than the reactor designer.
- General Dynamics Electric Boat: Designer and builder of U.S. Navy nuclear-powered submarines (SEAWOLF, VIRGINIA, COLUMBIA classes). Directly consumes Bettis/Knolls reactor plant designs and operates in the same naval nuclear ecosystem.
- Fluor Corporation: Parent of Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC, which operates Bettis. A broad engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction, and maintenance incumbent supporting nuclear, defense, and industrial clients — comparable in nuclear engineering depth but operating at vastly larger and more diversified scale.
Regional players
- Rolls-Royce Submarines: Designs and manufactures nuclear reactor plants for the Royal Navy's submarine fleet. Comparable naval nuclear propulsion engineering and manufacturing mission, but serves the UK rather than the U.S. market.
- Babcock International: Operates and supports the Royal Navy's submarine reactor facilities and Devonport dockyard under long-term MOD contracts. Comparable in naval nuclear support and lifecycle stewardship but serving the UK rather than the U.S. Navy.
- Naval Group: France's state naval shipbuilder and steward of naval nuclear propulsion for the French Navy (Rubis and Suffren class submarines, Charles de Gaulle carrier). Operates the same cradle-to-grave naval nuclear mission as Bettis, but in a different national market.
Direct peers
- BWX Technologies (BWXT): Manufactures naval nuclear reactor components and fuel for the U.S. Navy, including components used in submarine and carrier propulsion plants. A direct, commercially-active peer in the naval nuclear component supply chain.
- Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL): Sister site within the same Naval Nuclear Laboratory operated by Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC. KAPL led the reactor plant design for VIRGINIA and COLUMBIA Class submarines — directly comparable naval nuclear propulsion engineering mission under identical institutional framework.
- Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. (BPMI): Core strategic partner of Bettis since the late 1950s, responsible for engineering, procurement, quality control, and delivery of major naval nuclear propulsion plant components. Operates in the same naval nuclear supply chain with comparable technical and regulatory scope.
- Naval Reactors Facility (NRF): Sister site under the same Naval Nuclear Laboratory that receives, examines, and prepares naval spent nuclear fuel for storage. Directly comparable spent fuel management mission within the same institutional structure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory social profiles
Digital presenceBettis Atomic Power Laboratory financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory
What does Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory do?
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, operated as part of the Naval Nuclear Laboratory by Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy, designs advanced naval nuclear propulsion plants for submarines and aircraft carriers, conducts technology development, processes spent nuclear fuel, provides fleet support engineering, and trains Navy nuclear operators. It serves as the laboratory lead for the next-generation FORD Class aircraft carrier reactor plant design and supports NIMITZ and SEAWOLF Class platforms.
Is Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory a public or private company?
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory founded?
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory was founded in 1948. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory based?
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory is headquartered in West Mifflin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Contracts (DOE/DOD).
Who are Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Huntington Ingalls Industries / Newport News Shipbuilding, General Dynamics Electric Boat and Fluor Corporation. Regional players are Rolls-Royce Submarines, Babcock International and Naval Group. Direct peers are BWX Technologies (BWXT), Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL), Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. (BPMI) and Naval Reactors Facility (NRF).
Does Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory.
What industry is Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory in?
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory's product category is Naval Nuclear Propulsion Engineering. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAKADAE, Reactor Vessel, Internals & Primary Circuit Components (RPV, piping, pumps, valves), with a secondary code of EUAKAHAL, Spent Fuel Management Engineering, Consulting & Digital Tools (Thermal/Shielding/Criticality, QA). Its NAICS code is 221113 and its SIC code is 3510.