Medical success at Cernavodă nuclear plant: Cancer treatment isotope produced

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Nuclearelectrica and Framatome announce the positive conclusions of the feasibility study carried out to evaluate the possibility of producing the medical isotope Lutetiu-177 (Lu-177) at the Cernavodă nuclear power plant in Romania. Lutetium-177 is used for a number of vital cancer treatments. The isotope destroys cancer cells, leaving healthy cells unaffected. Thus, the two companies start the implementation of the project, which includes the detailed design, purchase, installation and commissioning of the irradiation system at Unit 2 of the Cernavodă plant.

The launch of a large-scale commercial irradiation service for medical isotopes is planned for 2028.

“Nuclearelectrica is committed to promoting not only energy production, but also public health. The production of Lutetiu-177 marks an important stage for Romania and for the global nuclear industry. Our role in supporting last-minute cancer treatments through nuclear medicine reinforces the role of nuclear energy in increasing the level of well-being. This project highlights the multiple contributions that nuclear energy can make – clean energy generation and medical isotope production,” says Cosmin Ghiță, Nuclearelectrica CEO.

The feasibility study was initiated in November 2023 based on Framatome’s isotope production technology. The study assessed whether infrastructure at Cernavoda could be used to convert targets into medical isotopes, in addition to the current production of reliable, low-carbon electricity.

The study demonstrated that, by adapting the Framatome technology to Unit 2 of the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, the reactor could irradiate Ytterbium-176 to the technical market standard required for the production of lutetium-based radiopharmaceuticals.

“We are proud to have reached this milestone with Nuclearelectrica and to be able to move on to the next phase of this important project. Developing additional capacity at nuclear reactors helps build a large-scale, reliable and diversified supply of critical radioisotopes to fight cancer,” said Francois Gauche, VP Framatome Healthcare.

“Demand for next-generation cancer treatments, massively accessible worldwide, is growing rapidly. The nuclear industry is ready to play its part in strengthening the supply chain of life-saving radioisotopes in Europe and around the world,” he added.

This project also aims to ensure an adequate supply of Lu-177 to meet Romania’s domestic needs for the production and supply of radiopharmaceuticals.

Lu-177 is a beta-emitting radioisotope used in targeted radionuclide therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer and in multiple radiopharmaceutical developments in the treatment of cancer.

The isotope destroys cancer cells, leaving healthy cells unaffected. Framatome’s proprietary isotope production technology enabled the first large-scale commercial production of Lu-177 in a power reactor in June 2022.

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