Bruce Power completes on-site hot cell

The facility was delivered through a Canadian collaboration of Bruce Power, Kinectrics and Bird Construction, alongside a broad cross-functional team from across Bruce Power's operations, engineering, licensing, radiation protection, safety and project delivery organisations. The structure incorporates more than 90,000 kilogrammes of concrete, a 7,000-kg personnel door and one of the largest lead-glass viewing windows of its kind, allowing operators to safely handle irradiated materials using precision manipulators.

With major construction complete, the project now moves into the licensing, commissioning and operational readiness phase.

Bruce Power currently has an application before the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to change the lutetium-177 (Lu-177) production process to incorporate the use of the hot cell facility. Once licensed by the CNSC, the hot cell would allow Bruce Power to perform Target Carrier Removal (TCR) on site, an important step in preparing Lu-177 for further processing into cancer therapies at off-site facilities.

"Bringing this capability to the Bruce site is expected to streamline logistics, reduce transportation requirements, improve worker safety, lower emissions and strengthen Ontario's isotope production infrastructure," Bruce Power said.

Lutetium-177 is used in targeted radionuclide therapy to treat certain tumours and prostate cancer, with its precision enabling destruction of cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue and minimising side-effects.

"Today's milestone represents the next chapter in Bruce Power's leadership in producing cancer-fighting medical isotopes and demonstrates what can be achieved through Canadian innovation, expertise and partnership," said James Scongack, Bruce Power's Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice-President. "From the design and engineering work to construction and project execution, this facility showcases the strength of Ontario's nuclear industry and supply chain. By bringing more of the isotope supply chain infrastructure and activities on site, we are creating a more efficient pathway to deliver cancer-fighting therapies to patients around the world while reinforcing Canada's position as a global medical isotope superpower."

Bruce Power has played a leading role in isotope production for decades. Since 1986, cobalt-60, used to sterilise about 30% of the world's single-use medical devices, has been produced at the Bruce site. Since 2021, Bruce Power has also produced medical-grade cobalt-60 used in radiation therapy treatments, and in 2022, the company's Isotope Production System became the first commercial nuclear power reactor in the world to produce lutetium-177. The Isotope Production System technology was developed in partnership with Kinectrics Inc and Framatome Canada's Isogen joint venture and uses Bruce Power's Candu reactors to irradiate ytterbium-176, transforming it into lutetium-177 which is then processed and distributed to healthcare facilities around the world.

The new hot cell further expands that leadership and supports future growth, including plans to expand isotope production capabilities through an additional Isotope Production System in Bruce unit 6.