OTTAWA and BUCHAREST, Romania, Oct. 10, 2019 /CNW/ - Nordion (Canada) Inc., a Sotera Health Company, and Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica SA (SNN) of Romania jointly announce an agreement to evaluate the potential commercial production of Cobalt-60 at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP).
The companies have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding in support of the project and will begin working towards establishing a new supply of this critical isotope for the global market, combining the companies' respective world-class expertise and experience in reactor operations and Cobalt-60 production.
"We're seeing an unprecedented growth in demand for Cobalt-60, and Nordion is excited about the agreement with SNN to pursue Cobalt-60 production capability at CNPP which will help ensure long-term supply for the industry," said Nordion's President, Kevin Brooks.
"Exploring the possibility of Cobalt-60 production in the Cernavoda reactors is a major step for the Romanian nuclear industry towards fully realizing the beneficial effects of nuclear technology in healthcare. We look forward to becoming part of the international Cobalt-60 community. SNN understands the importance of Cobalt-60 to global healthcare, and we are pleased to have Nordion as our partner in this project." said Cosmin Ghita, CEO of Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica SA.
Nordion plays a key role in safeguarding global health by supplying Cobalt-60 to sterilize single-use medical devices, reduce pathogens in food and other products, and treat certain cancers. As the world's leading supplier of Cobalt-60, Nordion maintains the most geographically and technologically diverse supply network.
About Nordion
Nordion, a Sotera Health company, is a leading provider of medical gamma technologies used for the prevention and treatment of disease and infection. Nordion's products are used daily by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, medical-device manufacturers, hospitals, clinics and research laboratories. Nordion supplies products to more than 40 countries around the world, and is committed to their mission, Safeguarding Global Health™ with every critical isotope they supply. Learn more at www.nordion.com.
About SNN
SNN is Romania's national nuclear electricity producer, with a market share of almost 20%. The company owns and operates two CANDU reactors, each with an installed capacity of 700 MWe. It delivers 10 TWh of clean energy into the Romanian Energy System on an annual basis, making the company a strategic producer and a long-term solution for the future decarbonization energy mix.
