Production of isotopes at OPG facilities

OPG is asking interested market participants to identify opportunities as to how OPG's nuclear assets can be used to produce medical and industrial isotopes.

Background

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is one of the largest, most diverse clean power generators in North America. OPG’s portfolio in Ontario includes the Pickering and Darlington Nuclear Generating stations. In addition to providing a large supply of clean power, these stations produce life-saving isotopes used for both medical and industrial applications.

OPG’s nuclear assets also include three Nuclear Sustainability Services (NSS) facilities. These facilities accept, transport, process, and store nuclear materials from Ontario Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) nuclear stations. The NSS also identifies valuable by-products that can be created from the generation of nuclear power. Aligned with OPG’s Climate Change Plan, NSS embraces the three Rs – reduce, reuse, and recycle – while practising good stewardship of nuclear by-products. Their focus is on minimizing volumes by enhancing existing processing capabilities and developing and applying new technology, to reduce costs and our environmental footprint.

On September 29, 2022, the Province announced its support for the continued safe operation of the Pickering GS, which includes Units 1 and 4 operating to the end of September 2024 and December 2024, respectively. Units 5 to 8 would operate to the end of September 2026, subject to regulatory approval from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. The Province also asked OPG to update its feasibility assessment for refurbishing Units 5 to 8 at the Pickering GS, based on the latest information, as a prudent due diligence measure to support future electricity planning decisions. OPG previously conducted such a feasibility assessment between 2006 and 2009. It expects to submit the updated results of the assessment later this year. The Pickering station is one of the largest nuclear stations in the world and has been safely and reliably providing Ontario with power for decades. While a comprehensive technical examination remains ongoing, OPG is interested in exploring isotope opportunities for this, or any other site in our nuclear fleet to further strengthen the isotope industry supply chain, and satisfy patient and industry needs.

OPG's current isotopes

OPG’s existing isotope portfolio includes cobalt-60, tritium and heavy water detritiation and it is able to further expand its isotope production. The Pickering Nuclear Generating Station has been producing cobalt-60 (Co-60) for over 50 years. The addition of the Darlington Tritium Removal Facility in the late 1980s enabled the provision of heavy water detritiation services and immobilization of tritium. Currently modifications are underway to convert the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station for cobalt-60 production and, in conjunction with Laurentis Energy Partners and their partners, irradiation of molybdenum-99.

Request for market information on isotope opportunities for OPG facilities

As the medical and industrial applications for isotopes grow every day, OPG is uniquely positioned to meet the demand. OPG has decades of strong nuclear and isotope knowledge and expertise, existing industry relationships and multiple nuclear assets that can provide irradiation services and/or the source material for isotope opportunities.

OPG’s commercial reactors offer reliability and potential redundancy for isotope production, all in close proximity to major Canadian cities and critical transportation routes. OPG is asking interested market participants to identify opportunities as to how OPG’s nuclear assets can be used/leveraged to produce either or both medical and industrial isotopes.

Information for interested market participants

• Participants shall review the attached RFMI Rules.
• Participants shall provide the required information per the RFMI Data Sheet and Submission Form.

The deadline for RFMI submissions is June 15, 2023 at 2 p.m. EST.