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news.GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) and Exelon have entered into an agreement to deploy GEH’s isotope generation technology for the domestic and global supply of cobalt-60, a radioisotope used as a radiation source for treating cancer and other biomedical applications.
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The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved a license amendment permitting the use of GEH’s technology at Exelon Nuclear’s Clinton Power Station, a single-unit, boiling water reactor plant in Dewitt County, Illinois.
Robert Atcher, former president of the Society of Nuclear Medicine, said: “Without key isotopes like cobalt-60, potentially life-threatening diseases could go untreated. Developing a US domestic supply of isotopes capable of meeting demands is imperative to the well-being of the US population. It is exciting to see companies like GEH and Exelon leveraging one another’s expertise to develop and bring technologically advanced, innovative solutions to the medical isotope community.”
Charles Pardee, president and chief nuclear officer of Nuclear at Exelon, said: “We view this as an opportunity for Exelon to support an important medical technology that saves people’s lives.”
Kevin Walsh, CEO of Global Nuclear Fuel and senior vice president of GEH Nuclear Fuel Cycle, said: “Using Exelon’s existing power-generating reactors eliminates the need and costs associated with building new research reactors, thus offering additional significant economic and environmental benefits to the nuclear and medical industries.
“We are pleased to work with Exelon to create a more stable, global supply of cobalt-60, which has been used to help treat hundreds of thousands of patients for cancer and other medical conditions.”