JANESVILLE, Wis., March 25, 2021 – SHINE Medical Technologies LLC today announced that construction of the exterior structure of its first-of-a-kind medical isotope production facility is complete and the building is weathertight, a major milestone with significance for SHINE, the medical isotope industry and patients around the world.
Reaching the weathertight milestone moves SHINE one step closer to providing a flexible, reliable supply of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) and other neutron-produced isotopes to customers, physicians and patients. It means that the 46,000-square-foot building is now sealed against the elements and the installation of SHINE’s high-tech process equipment can begin. The production facility has been built to withstand tornados, airplane crashes and other catastrophic events, and is expected to be a major producer of medicine for decades to come.
“This milestone marks a leveling-up for our team, which includes our internal staff, but also all those who helped do the work in the field,” said Greg Piefer, founder and CEO of SHINE. “We’ve now demonstrated we can execute against a challenging first-of-a-kind nuclear build and do so within schedule and budget contingencies— all during a global pandemic. I am incredibly proud of the grit, dedication and skill of all those involved as we worked together to tackle complicated problems in challenging conditions. The results of the team’s hard work say a lot about their extraordinary dedication, talent and commitment to improving the lives of patients everywhere.”
The plant is expected to be the largest medical isotope production facility in the world by capacity. SHINE is installing the specialized process equipment in the facility during the next year, and expects to begin producing Mo-99 in late 2022.
“Baker Concrete Construction is proud to be one of SHINE’s partner in the construction of this important facility and we’re excited to have been given the opportunity to play a key role in getting the project to weathertight,” said Matt Jorn, project executive of Baker. “We understand what this plant means, not just to SHINE, but to patients around the globe. This commitment makes our involvement in the facility’s construction even more meaningful. Doing our part to bring the facility to weathertight is something that the entire Baker team takes great pride in.”
In addition to Baker, SHINE’s construction partners include J.H. Findorff & Son Inc., Sargent & Lundy LLC, Lycon Inc., and Westphal & Co.
Based in Janesville, Wisconsin, SHINE deploys its safe, cost-effective and environmentally friendly fusion technology in a stepwise approach. Its systems are used to inspect industrial components in aerospace, defense, energy and other sectors. SHINE’s proprietary medical isotope production processes create non-carrier-added lutetium-177 and are expected to create molybdenum-99. In the future, SHINE plans to scale its fusion technology to help solve one of energy’s toughest hurdles by recycling nuclear waste. Through a purpose-driven and phased approach, SHINE aims to generate fusion power to deliver clean, abundant energy that could transform life on Earth. Want to learn more about SHINE? Follow us on social media @shinefusion and sign up for our email newsletter to follow us on our journey!
Media Contact: info@shinefusion.com
