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inherent value of continued Canadian leadership in An innovative collaboration between OPG’s wholly-
isotopes.” owned subsidiary, Laurentis Energy Partners, and
BWX Technologies (BWXT) will see Molybdenum-99
ISOTOPE PRODUCTION SYSTEM harvested from reactors at Darlington.
(IPS)—A GROUND-BREAKING
ACHIEVEMENT “Under this important supply agreement, the reactor
will provide irradiation services to produce an
CANDU power reactors—a Canadian technology— isotope that is used in over 30 million diagnostic
are uniquely suited to isotope production due to and medical imaging treatments around the world
their ability for on-power fueling, which allows for each year, helping to detect illnesses like cancer
steady-state conditions suitable for irradiating and heart disease,” says Stephenson.
isotopes. “Cobalt-60 (a long-lived medical isotope),
which has been produced in CANDU reactors for Another new IPS system is in development at
decades, is used in life-saving cancer treatments, Bruce Power. This is a significant achievement as
is critical to the sterilization of medical equipment, it will make Bruce Power the first power reactor
and helps keep the world’s hospitals clean and safe in the world to produce short-lived medical
through the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Stephenson. isotope, Lutetium-177. Lutetium-177 is needed in
A unique IPS is underdevelopment at OPG. OPG will nuclear medicine applications for targeted cancer
soon expand the production of medical isotopes to treatments that offer doctors an alternative to
its Darlington Nuclear station. traditional chemotherapy techniques.
JULY 2022 | BUSINESS ELITE CANADA 25
