Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) is a vital parent isotope used in a process powering over 40,000 medical diagnostic procedures in the US each day. To strengthen the US domestic supply of this critical medical resource, SHINE Medical Technologies needed a first-of-its-kind production facility designed around its proprietary Subcritical Hybrid Intense Emitter (SHINE) unit.

Merrick provided comprehensive engineering design services for the facility pre-conceptual design, ensuring it could safely house and support the SHINE unit, which generates neutrons, fissions (breaks apart) low-enriched uranium in a water-based target, and produces Mo-99 for downstream separation and packaging. Our services included mechanical equipment and facilities design, as well as electrical, instrumentation, process, radiological, and structural engineering.

As a direct contractor to SHINE, Merrick also supported nuclear licensing efforts in accordance with U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requirements, including development of sections of the facility’s Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR). All design work was performed under Merrick’s NQA-1 and 10 CFR 50 Appendix B compliant quality program for nuclear system design.

Key system designs addressed target preparations, SHINE unit cooling, radiological monitoring, criticality alarms, controlled ventilation, radioactive drains, reactivity protection systems, hot cell fire protection, and biological shielding. Merrick integrated these deliverables with balance-of-plant systems developed by other teams to support license application and facility readiness.

The result is an early facility concept for delivering a safe, reliable, and affordable domestic supply of Mo-99, supporting diagnostic and treatment procedures for millions of patients while reducing US reliance on foreign isotope sources.