The CNSC said its decision to amend OPG’s license, announced on May 26, considered written submissions from OPG, CNSC staff, and seven intervenors. The license remains valid until November 30, 2025.
According to OPG, the decision clears the way for OPG subsidiary Laurentis Energy Partners to use its proprietary target delivery system, developed in partnership with BWXT Medical and installed on Darlington’s Unit 2, to produce Lu-177 and Y-90.
Commercial production of Y-90 is anticipated to begin in 2026, while commercial production of Lu-177 is expected to begin in 2027, according to Laurentis.
The isotopes: As a medical radioisotope, Lu-177 is used in targeted radionuclide therapy for treating tumors and prostate cancer. It is currently the most-used isotope for targeted radionuclide therapy.
Laurentis said it could produce enough Lu-177 at Darlington to supply nearly 3 million doses, enough to fully treat 500,000 patients annually and vastly increase the global supply capacity.
Meanwhile, Y-90 is used to treat several diseases, primarily advanced liver cancer and other large, inoperable tumors.
Once irradiated, Y-90 will be sent to BWXT Medical’s facility in Kanata, Ontario, to be packaged into Boston Scientific’s TheraSphere Y-90 Glass Microspheres and distributed to over 30 countries.
Additional production: Already in use at Darlington to produce molybdenum-99, which is used in nuclear diagnostic scans, Laurentis’s target delivery system harvests isotopes in one-third the time, compared with competing systems, according to OPG.
At both its Darlington and Pickering nuclear power plants, OPG produces cobalt-60, which is used to sterilize single-use medical devices. The company also repurposes tritium for use in safety signs, pharmaceuticals, and future nuclear fusion technology.
To support MRI technology, quantum computing, nuclear research, and border security, Laurentis is also advancing the production of helium-3.