PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — After a nationwide search, TerraPower Isotopes — a nuclear medicine company founded by Bill Gates — has chosen Philadelphia for its second manufacturing site and will become a major tenant of Southwest Philadelphia’s Bellwether District.
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office announced the deal, saying TerraPower will invest $450 million in a custom-built, 250,000-square foot facility to manufacture actinium-225, a radioisotope derived from weapons-grade uranium and used in the development of a drug that destroys cancerous tissue with minimal damage to healthy cells.
The state said it landed the facility over 350 other possible sites with the help of $10 million in state grants. TerraPower will also qualify for tax benefits because the Bellwether District is in a Keystone Opportunity Zone. According to the governor’s office, it will create 225 full-time jobs over the next three years.
The Bellwether District, near Philadelphia International Airport, is remaking the former Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery into a 1,300-acre e-commerce and life sciences campus. The PES refinery was shut down in 2019 after explosions and a massive fire released nearly 3,300 pounds of toxic chemicals into the air.
The district recently announced its first major tenant — beverage manufacturer DrinkPak.