Framatome and Nucleoeléctrica Argentina have signed an agreement to conduct a pre-feasibility study on installing systems for producing short-lived radioisotopes, such as Lutetium-177, at the nuclear power plants operated by the Argentine company: Atucha I, Atucha II, and Embalse.
Alberto Lamagna, President of Nucleoeléctrica Argentina, and François Gauché, Vice President of Framatome Healthcare, led the signing ceremony, held at Nucleoeléctrica's headquarters. Both commended the collaboration between their teams which has made the agreement possible.
The study is expected to take a year and will be completed in two stages, evaluating both the technical and economic feasibility of producing Lutetium-177, a medical isotope used for a variety of lifesaving cancer treatments.
“Framatome has been working with Nucleoeléctrica Argentina for decades to support the safe, reliable and sustainable operation of the Atucha I and II and Embalse nuclear reactors,” said François Gauché, Vice President of Framatome Healthcare. “Nuclear technologies play a crucial role in modern healthcare and we are delighted to extend our cooperation with Nucleoeléctrica Argentina through this worthy initiative.”
Argentina's nuclear sector has extensive experience in the commercial production of radioisotopes at nuclear power plants. For decades, the Embalse Nuclear Power Plant has been producing Cobalt-60, an element used in medicine and industry worldwide.
“This agreement reaffirms our commitment to leveraging the country's nuclear capabilities,” said Alberto Lamagna, President of Nucleoeléctrica Argentina, during the event. “We aim to go beyond electricity generation by developing applications that add value to the nuclear industry’s production chain.” He also emphasized the opportunities arising from the current global context to engage strategic partners in innovative projects.
Framatome’s proprietary isotope production technology is already used to commercially produce Lutetium-177 at a CANDU plant in Canada and a similar project is underway in Romania.
By combining Framatome's expertise in designing and implementing medical isotope production systems with Nucleoeléctrica's proven experience in the safe and efficient operation of nuclear reactors and the production of Cobalt-60, the initiative is set up for success.