The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing announced on Apr. 9 a conditional commitment for a loan of up to $263 million to SHINE Chrysalis, LLC, supporting the construction of a medical isotope production facility in Janesville, Wisconsin. The new facility will use fusion and fission technology to produce molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), an essential medical isotope used daily in over 40,000 procedures across the United States.
The move is intended to address the current reliance on foreign sources for these isotopes and aims to ensure a secure domestic supply for patients who depend on them for diagnostic imaging and cancer treatment. The project is expected to create hundreds of jobs during construction and operation phases.
Gregory A. Beard, Director of the Office of Energy Dominance Financing, said, “The SHINE Chrysalis project is vital to improving the nuclear supply chain and contributing to a strong next-generation nuclear workforce while onshoring this critical production and improving national security.” Beard also said that using EDF’s loan authority aligns with administration policy: “ensuring a reliable and secure domestic supply chain while lowering costs.”
Dr. Matthew Napoli, Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation at NNSA, said, “SHINE is the key to ending reliance on imports of foreign-produced Mo-99 and ensuring U.S. patients have reliable access to American-made medical isotopes. NNSA’s leadership made this concept a reality… The EDF conditional loan will get this project across the finish line, and SHINE’s market entry will be a major win for American nuclear medicine, fusion technology, and nuclear nonproliferation leadership.”
SHINE has developed its technology with support from the National Nuclear Security Administration over 16 years; national laboratories have played an important role in its development as well.
In related energy initiatives from DOE: On July 21, 2022,the department announced $225 million under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for implementing resilient building energy codes; Secretary Jennifer Granholm called on international partners to advance clean energy efforts; DOE officials highlighted technology development before Congress; an innovative passive process was applied at Savannah River Site by DOE’s Environmental Management office; $96 million was committed toward decarbonizing transportation; finally,146 programs were launched supporting President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative focused on investments in disadvantaged communities.
EDF stated that certain technical, legal, environmental, and financial conditions must be met before finalizing financing documents or funding loans.
