Bruce Power has completed the largest harvest of cobalt-60 in its history during a planned outage of its Unit 5 reactor.
The milestone bolsters the global health-care community’s supply of the critical isotope, which is used in cancer treatment, sterilization of medical equipment, and food safety.
Bruce Power continues to advance its role in the medical isotope sector, implementing upgrades during the Unit 5 outage that will enhance its production of cobalt-60 and High Specific Activity (HSA) cobalt-60.
The latter is a medical-grade isotope instrumental in the treatment of brain tumors and breast cancer through non-invasive procedures.
“The production of these potentially life-saving medical isotopes is a beacon of hope that is provided by our nuclear industry,” said James Scongack, Bruce Power’s Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice-President, and Chair of the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council. “Through the operation of our units and our partnerships with Canada and Ontario-based supply chain and trades, people and hospitals around the world can rely on our steady supply of these vital resources.”
The harvested isotopes are being transported to Ottawa-based Nordion, where they will be processed and distributed worldwide. HSA cobalt-60 plays a crucial role in radiation therapies, minimizing damage to healthy tissues by delivering a single, high-dose treatment with precision. This reduces the risk of side effects for certain patients compared to other radiation therapies.
“Cobalt-60 is critical in the global health-care system for non-invasive cancer treatments,” said Dr. Arjun Sahgal, Chief of Radiation Oncology at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Dr. Sahgal, who uses HSA cobalt in gamma knife technology to treat cancer patients, recently toured Bruce Power’s facilities and observed the cobalt-60 harvested from Unit 5 in the fuel bay. “We’re lucky in Ontario that we have a commitment to advanced cancer radiation therapies and nuclear isotopes.”
Local leaders have also expressed their support for Bruce Power’s contributions.
“Through investments in Bruce Power’s long-term operation and renewing its units, Ontario is not only meeting its growing electricity needs but providing a steady supply of cobalt-60 and other medical isotopes well into the future,” said Kincardine Mayor Kenneth Craig. “We’re proud to see isotopes produced right here at home helping to save lives around the world.”