Framatome and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to demonstrate the feasibility of producing non-carrier added lutetium-177, a medical isotope used for a variety of lifesaving cancer treatments, at the Wolsong nuclear power plant in South Korea. Under this MoU, Framatome and KHNP will jointly perform a technical assessment at the plant using Framatome’s isotope production technology. This technology has been successfully implemented on a commercial production level at the Bruce Power nuclear power plant in Canada. “We anticipate that commercial nuclear reactors will have an increasing role to play to backup and complement research reactors in the production of cancer-fighting radioisotopes,” said François Gauché, head of Framatome Healthcare. “This cooperation will support the future supply chain readiness to make lutetium-177 treatments massively accessible across the world.” Through this agreement—similar to one recently announced by Framatome and Nuclearelectrica in Romania—the two companies will look at the feasibility of using the CANDU reactor at Wolsong to support Korean production of lifesaving radioisotopes in the future. “With this initiative, KHNP stays consistent with its social responsibility commitment, by supporting the development of modern nuclear medicine treatments in South Korea while continuing its contribution to stable energy supply and carbon neutrality,” said Chang Hee-Seung (Figure 1), executive vice president of KHNP’s Quality and Technology division.
