JANESVILLE, Wis., May 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SHINE Technologies has been competitively selected by the U.S. Department of Energy for advanced negotiations to convert surplus plutonium — material originally produced for U.S. nuclear weapons programs — into fuel for advanced nuclear reactors. The selection makes SHINE one of a small group of companies entering negotiations under DOE’s Surplus Plutonium Utilization Program, a federal initiative to put legacy nuclear material to work as a domestic source of clean energy.
The program, run by DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy, makes surplus plutonium available to industry for conversion into reactor fuel, subject to U.S. security, safeguards, and material accountability requirements. Final terms remain subject to negotiation and an Other Transaction Agreement with DOE.
Under its proposed approach, SHINE would chemically process the surplus material. The work would recover americium — a decay product that accumulates in stored plutonium over time — for use in radioisotope applications and would purify the remaining plutonium for blending with uranium into fuel suitable for advanced reactors. SHINE’s plan pairs its own fuel cycle and chemistry capabilities with americium-recovery work by partner Zeno Power and separation technology developed with French nuclear company Orano.
SHINE views the program as a path to disposition through use: taking material that has been set aside for long-term management and putting it to work as a domestic source of clean electricity and critical isotopes. Because the process moves material away from weapons-usable form, it advances U.S. energy and nonproliferation interests at the same time.
“Fuel access is one of the hardest problems in the advanced reactor industry right now, and it’s a problem of chemistry and infrastructure as much as policy,” said Greg Piefer, founder and CEO of SHINE. “We’ve spent more than a decade building the capabilities needed to handle complex nuclear materials — recycling used fuel, recovering isotopes, doing the kind of separations work this program calls for.”
The Surplus Plutonium Utilization Program complements SHINE’s broader work in nuclear fuel recycling, where the company is developing the chemistry and infrastructure needed to convert used nuclear fuel into clean energy in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. National Laboratories.
About SHINE
Headquartered in Janesville, Wisconsin, SHINE is an industry leader in next-generation fusion, developing innovative fusion-based technology that combines safety, cost-efficiency and environmental responsibility.
SHINE has successfully commercialized fusion across multiple applications, including neutron testing markets such as neutron radiography, radiation-effects testing and fusion material research. It has commercialized and is scaling its proprietary medical isotope production, processes, supplying high-quality radioisotopes essential for procedures including diagnosing heart disease and cancer as well as cancer therapy.
Beyond these applications, SHINE is pioneering nuclear waste recycling to make nuclear energy more sustainable. Its long-term purpose is to change the way humans make energy by commercializing fusion energy. Unlike other fusion companies, SHINE takes a commercially driven path mirroring successful deep-tech industries. Through this visionary approach, SHINE is advancing technology, healthcare, and sustainable energy, making a lasting impact across multiple sectors.
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SOURCE SHINE Technologies, LLC
