WASHINGTON, D.C. — A proposed $263 million federal loan could help establish the nation’s first domestic commercial supply of a critical medical isotope used in tens of thousands of daily procedures, reducing reliance on foreign sources.
What This Means for You
- U.S. could produce key medical isotopes domestically for the first time
- Project aims to stabilize supply for cancer treatment and diagnostics
- Hundreds of jobs expected from construction and operations
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing issued a conditional commitment for a loan of up to $263 million to SHINE Chrysalis, LLC to support construction of a medical isotope production facility in Janesville, Wisconsin.
Medical isotopes are radioactive materials used in diagnostic imaging and cancer treatment. One of the most widely used, molybdenum-99, produces technetium-99m, which is used in more than 40,000 medical procedures in the United States each day.
Domestic Supply Push
The planned facility would establish the only domestic commercial supply of molybdenum-99, addressing a longstanding reliance on overseas production with limited capacity.
Officials said the project would use fusion and fission technology — processes that involve combining or splitting atomic nuclei — along with uranium recycling methods to produce isotopes more efficiently.
“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,” said Gregory A. Beard, director of the Office of Energy Dominance Financing.
Federal Policy and Investment
The project aligns with broader federal efforts to expand nuclear energy and strengthen domestic supply chains under an executive order issued in May 2025.
That directive calls for expanding nuclear energy production, increasing reactor output, and developing new facilities while securing the domestic nuclear fuel supply chain.
It also promotes recycling and reprocessing of nuclear materials to improve efficiency and reduce waste, while directing federal agencies to accelerate licensing timelines and workforce development.
Project Status and Conditions
The loan remains conditional, meaning the Department of Energy and the company must meet technical, legal, environmental, and financial requirements before final approval and funding.
SHINE has developed its technology over more than a decade with support from the National Nuclear Security Administration and national laboratories.
“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,” said Dr. Matthew Napoli of the National Nuclear Security Administration.
If completed, the facility is expected to support hundreds of construction and operational jobs while expanding access to critical medical treatments.
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