​Bruce Power makes largest delivery of Cobalt-60, used to fight cancer worldwide

Bruce Power has completed delivery of the company’s largest ever harvest of Cobalt-60, a crucial isotope used worldwide in the sterilization of billions of pieces of medical equipment and in the ongoing fight against cancer.

The medical isotopes, harvested in October, were delivered to Ottawa-based Nordion for processing and distribution. The isotopes will be shipped around the world and used to sterilize billions of pieces of single-use medical equipment, as well as in the specialized treatment of certain breast cancers and brain tumours.

“For more than 35 years, the world’s health-care community has counted on Bruce Power to supply Cobalt-60 to keep hospitals clean and safe, fight cancer, and protect our front-line health-care workers,” said James Scongack, Bruce Power’s executive vice-president and chief development officer. “We’re proud of our decades-long legacy of producing medical isotopes, which positively impact the health of our friends, neighbours, and people all over the world.”

The completed harvest, which is Bruce Power’s largest since production began in the 1980s, included two shipments of High Specific Activity (HSA) Cobalt-60, a medical-grade used in the treatment of specialized brain tumours and breast cancers through non-invasive procedures. HSA Cobalt-60 radiation therapies limit damage to healthy tissues by delivering a single, high dose of radiation with a high degree of accuracy to the target, lowering the risk of side effects for some patients when compared to other types of radiation therapy.

“Cobalt-60 is critical for supporting global health care,” said Riaz Bandali, president of Nordion. “Reliability of supply is key and Bruce Power continues to be a valued partner, supplying Cobalt-60 for nearly 40 years”

Once the Cobalt-60 harvest was completed, Bruce Power executed the installation of system innovations to increase its production for the next harvest to continue to meet the growing demands of the world market.

The Cobalt-60 harvest was completed during a planned maintenance outage in Unit 8, which is part of the Life-Extension Program at Bruce Power. This program will ensure Bruce Power’s continued production of reliable, carbon-free electricity and cancer-fighting medical isotopes through 2064.

Learn more about how Bruce Power is helping to keep hospitals safe, and also diagnosing and treating cancer, at www.brucepower.com/isotopes.