Life-saving molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) radioisotopes can now be produced at Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington nuclear power station, thanks to the installation and initial commissioning of an innovative isotope system by Laurentis Energy Partners and BWXT Medical.

OPG said the production of Mo-99 at the four-unit Darlington station will be a world-first for a commercial power reactor.

With equipment now installed, the Darlington team will continue with planned commissioning and preparation activities for commercial production of Mo-99, pending completion of validation runs and approval from the US Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada.

Mo-99 is used to produce technetium-99 metastable (Tc-99m), one of the most prevalently used diagnostic imaging agents in nuclear medicine, which helps detect illnesses like cancer and heart disease.