The U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) and its contractor, Isotek Systems, completed the installation of a new analytical laboratory at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) on August 25, 2026. The laboratory will support ORNL's highest-priority environmental cleanup project and accelerate the delivery of critical medical isotope materials used in cancer treatment research.

Isotek Systems is responsible for the removal of the U.S. uranium-233 inventory stored at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Uranium-233 was primarily developed in the 1950s and 1960s, initially intended for use as nuclear reactor fuel, but was later found unsuitable as a commercial fuel source. Removing this inventory will reduce long-term on-site storage risks, lower associated security and maintenance costs, and create conditions for the subsequent decommissioning of storage facilities and the release of space in the laboratory's central campus.

Currently, the relevant team has processed approximately half of the inventory. The remaining uranium-233 still requires processing to be converted into a form suitable for transport to disposal sites outside Tennessee. The new laboratory, located in Building 2026 where processing operations are underway, enables on-site analysis of processed material samples, reducing the need for off-site testing and thereby accelerating subsequent transport and disposal schedules.

Erik Olds, manager of the DOE Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, stated that this added capability will provide staff with more data and faster results, helping the team reduce delays in disposal material decisions and processing, and laying the groundwork for future support of other priority projects.

Before processing and disposing of the uranium-233, Isotek Systems will also extract the rare medical isotope thorium-229. Through a public-private partnership with nuclear energy innovation company TerraPower Isotopes, these isotopes will be used to advance next-generation cancer therapy research. TerraPower Isotopes is currently supplying commercial-scale isotopes to the global pharmaceutical industry, with some materials already used in multi-site clinical trials.

With the new laboratory in operation, Isotek Systems will be able to analyze extracted isotope samples on-site and deliver results to TerraPower Isotopes more quickly. Previously, samples had to be sent to other laboratories for testing, typically taking about four months; now, the relevant team expects results in approximately two weeks.

Sarah Schaefer, president and project manager of Isotek Systems, stated that the Building 2026 analytical laboratory will not only help expedite the transfer of thorium-229 to TerraPower Isotopes but also assist the processing team in promptly adjusting their processes to improve thorium-229 recovery rates.

Scott Claunch, president of TerraPower Isotopes, stated that the advancement of precision medicine depends on a stable supply of actinium-225, and the company is recovering actinium-225 from thorium-229 provided by Isotek Systems. Accelerating the processing of the actinium-225 parent isotope will help expand production capacity and strengthen the global isotope supply chain.

It is reported that the uranium-233 stored at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a global primary source of thorium-229. Through this project, Isotek Systems has increased the global thorium-229 supply by over 2,000%. The first commercial processing operations utilizing this material are expected to be realized in 2028.
 

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