SHINE Technologies LLC (SHINE), a next-generation nuclear technology company, and the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) announced signing of the first-ever contracts as part of the Department’s Uranium Lease and Take-back Program. The shared milestone for SHINE and the Department’s efforts will help increase domestic production of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), a crucial medical radioisotope used in over 40,000 daily medical diagnostic procedures across the United States to assist in diagnosing life-threatening diseases, including heart disease and cancer.
The NNSA’s lease contract will provide SHINE with the low-enriched uranium necessary to produce Mo-99, while SHINE’s contract with DOE-EM details requirements surrounding the return of any resulting radioactive waste without a commercial disposition path once Mo-99 production is complete.
“Signing these contracts with SHINE is a crucial step toward medical isotope autonomy for the United States,” said Corey Hinderstein, NNSA Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation. “Once SHINE begins production, our country will be that much closer to creating a reliable and sufficient supply of these life-saving materials right here at home, while also increasing nuclear security by reducing the use of highly enriched uranium.”
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