K-25 Gaseous Diffusion Plant (Oak Ridge)
U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
K-25 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee was the Manhattan Project's gaseous diffusion plant for enriching uranium, begun in 1943 and first run in April 1944. Its U-shaped building, with more than 3,000 diffusion stages, covered about 40 acres. Enrichment ended in 1985, the building was demolished in phases from 2008, and the K-25 History Center opened in 2020.
- Company
- U.S. Department of Energy
- Status
- Closed
- Opened
- 1944
- Employees
- Not stated
- Industry
- Aerospace and defense
- Revised
- November 12, 2026
What is made here
Manhattan Project and Cold War plant that enriched uranium by gaseous diffusion; the building has been demolished.
Facts
| Equipment | The K-25 building held more than 3,000 stages of gaseous diffusion equipment, each with a converter, two compressors, two compressor motors and piping (federal: energy.gov) |
|---|---|
| Size | The U-shaped building covered 1.64 million square feet on about 40 acres; its west wing alone was 844,000 square feet (federal: energy.gov) |
| Demolition | West wing demolition began December 16, 2008 and finished January 20, 2010; about 9,200 loads of debris, 2,100 compressors and 1,300 converters went to an on-site disposal facility (federal: energy.gov) |
| Purpose and dates | Built from October 1943 to produce enriched uranium for atomic bombs by gaseous diffusion; first section ready for test runs April 17, 1944; gaseous diffusion on the site ceased August 27, 1985 (reference: en.wikipedia.org) |
| History center | The K-25 History Center opened February 27, 2020 (reference: en.wikipedia.org) |
Figures are as stated by the source named next to each one. Company figures are the company's own claims.
Can you visit?
K-25 History Center, part of Manhattan Project National Historical Park (en.wikipedia.org) Check the operator's site before you go.
Sources
- DOE: K-25 West Wing Demolition Completed (federal, checked November 12, 2026)
- Wikipedia: K-25 (reference, checked November 12, 2026)
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