TerraPower Isotopes, part of a nuclear power company founded by Bill Gates, will invest $450 million in a Bellwether District plant that will produce radioactive molecules for cancer research and treatments, writes Harold Brubaker for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
As part of the Bellwether District development, HRP Group will build a 250,000-square-foot facility on the former refinery site.
The site is expected to generate 225 new jobs in Philadelphia while supporting demand for molecules that have been designed to attack tumors without affecting the surrounding tissue.
Derived from weapons-grade uranium, TerraPower’s material includes the isotope actinium-225, which researchers are exploring as a cancer treatment by attaching it to antibodies that target specific cells, where it can deliver high doses of radiation at close range.
“This new facility is a testament to the demand for actinium-225 as part of the growing industry, which is transforming how cancer is treated,” said TerraPower Isotopes president Scott Claunch.
He added that the manufacturing facility in Philadelphia “will play a pivotal role in expanding global access to this rare isotope.”
The project was announced by Gov. Josh Shapiro, with his administration providing $10 million in grant support.
Read more about TerraPower and the new facility it plans to establish in South Philly’s Bellwether District in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
_____
Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on PHILADELPHIA Today in March 2026.
