Hanford isotope project strategic business analysis yttrium-90 (Y-90)

Technical Report · Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1995

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/206513· OSTI ID:206513

The purpose of this analysis is to address the short-term direction for the Hanford yttrium-90 (Y-90) project. Hanford is the sole DOE producer of Y-90, and is the largest repository for its source in this country. The production of Y-90 is part of the DOE Isotope Production and Distribution (IP and D) mission. The Y-90 is ``milked`` from strontium-90 (Sr-90), a byproduct of the previous Hanford missions. The use of Sr-90 to produce Y-90 could help reduce the amount of waste material processed and the related costs incurred by the clean-up mission, while providing medical and economic benefits. The cost of producing Y-90 is being subsidized by DOE-IP and D due to its use for research, and resultant low production level. It is possible that the sales of Y-90 could produce full cost recovery within two to three years, at two curies per week. Preliminary projections place the demand at between 20,000 and 50,000 curies per year within the next ten years, assuming FDA approval of one or more of the current therapies now in clinical trials. This level of production would incentivize private firms to commercialize the operation, and allow the government to recover some of its sunk costs. There are a number of potential barriers to the success of the Y-90 project, outside the control of the Hanford Site. The key issues include: efficacy, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval and medical community acceptance. There are at least three other sources for Y-90 available to the US users, but they appear to have limited resources to produce the isotope. Several companies have communicated interest in entering into agreements with Hanford for the processing and distribution of Y-90, including some of the major pharmaceutical firms in this country.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-87RL10930
• OSTI ID: 206513
• Report Number(s): WHC-EP-0890; ON: DE96006824; TRN: 96:009385
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: Oct 1995
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCE TECHNOLOGY
29 ENERGY PLANNING AND POLICY
40 CHEMISTRY
HANFORD RESERVATION
ISOTOPE SEPARATION PLANTS
YTTRIUM 90
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
RADIOISOTOPE GENERATORS
STRONTIUM 90
USES
SUPPLY AND DEMAND
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
MARKET
RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS
COST ESTIMATION
FINANCING