An extended supply agreement between Bruce Power and Nordion will ensure a long term supply of cobalt-60 up to 2064.
It covers four Bruce B reactors that are undergoing life extension maintenance programs over the next two decades.
The two companies say the agreement demonstrates a shared commitment to ensure a reliable, stable, supply of cobalt 60 for customers and medical patients around the work.
It's used as a radiation source to sterilize medical items, decontaminate spices and consumer goods, and reduce pests on produce for import and export.
A previous arrangement would have expired in 2028.
“This agreement guarantees our customers and health care providers will have a stable, secure Cobalt-60 supply they can count on for the next half century,” says Ian Downie, Nordion’s vice president and general manager, gamma technologies. “The exceptional duration of this arrangement is a testament to the strong working relationship that Nordion and Bruce Power have built.”
Mike Rencheck, Bruce Power’s president and CEO, says his company has always placed enormous value on the production of Cobalt for medical device sterilization and other applications.
“With this long-term agreement, we are demonstrating our commitment to, and confidence in, the use of clean nuclear power to provide safe hospitals for patients in Ontario and around the world,” he says.