Bruce Power is celebrating a significant advancement in its production of life-saving medical isotopes following its latest cobalt-60 harvest.
The harvest took place during a planned outage on Unit 8 and marks the first time the company successfully used newly designed heavy adjuster rods. The innovation is expected to increase isotope production without impacting reactor performance.
The milestone is also notable as the first harvest under an expanded partnership with the Saugeen Ojibway Nation. The agreement now includes cobalt-60 production through the Gamzook’aamin aakoziwin Limited Partnership, representing a major step in economic reconciliation and long-term collaboration.
Ontario’s Minister of Energy and Mines, Stephen Lecce, says the achievement supports the province’s goal of doubling medical isotope production by 2030.
Following the harvest, the cobalt-60 was shipped to Nordion, where it will be processed and distributed worldwide. The isotope plays a critical role in cancer treatments, including use in advanced technologies like the Gamma Knife, as well as in sterilizing medical equipment and improving food safety.
Bruce Power says the milestone reinforces Canada’s global leadership in both clean energy and the production of medical isotopes.