Canada’s Darlington NPP to produce Mo-99

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A subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation (OPG), Canadian Nuclear Partners (CNP), is partnering with US-based BWX Technologies to help produce radioactive isotopes for medical use at the Darlington NPP, Canadian media reported on 20 June. It will become the world’s first large-scale commercial station to produce molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), the precursor required to make technetium-99 (Tc-99m) used in medical imaging.

The Crown Corporation says the Candu reactors at Darlington can produce molybdenum-99 while still generating electricity, allowing for a continuous supply of the radioisotope. Use of Candu reactors, which use natural uranium fuel, also removes the proliferation risk associated with the conventional production of Mo-99 by the irradiation of enriched uranium targets. Production is expected to start by the end of 2019, subject to Canadian regulatory reviews and approvals.

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http://www.neimagazine.com/news/newscanadas-darlington-npp-to-produce-mo-99-6219211

Source: Nuclear Engineering International