On June 28, 2019, loading of additional cobalt absorbers into Unit 3 reactor started at Smolensk NPP. This is the final stage of primary loading in Rosenergoatom’s large-scale project envisaging commercial production of cobalt-60 (Co-60) that is highly demanded on the international market.
Cobalt irradiation takes five years to get the required activity level. After extraction of irradiated items from the reactor, specialists will divide the cobalt absobers into elements and load them into transport containers. The final treatment of products before their shipment to the customer will be made at Leningrad NPP that has been producing Co-60 for over 20 years and has the necessary technique base and extensive experience.
Radioisotopes have a wide range of application including nuclear medicine, X-ray therapy, sterilization of medical items and food, polymeric material strength improvement, quality control of metal products, industrial waste treatment, stimulation of crop and vegetable yield. Co-60 isotopes will be extracted from Unit 3 in five years in the amount sufficient to sterilize over 446.5 thousand tons of special-purpose medical and cosmetic products; pasteurize about 744 thousand tons of spices or 2.3 million tons of meat, over 1 million tons of crops, 55 million tons of vegetables and potatoes.
Nikita Konstantinov, Deputy Director General – Director for Business Development at Rosenergoatom informed the journalists that the Russian nuclear industry played a crucial role in the international supplies of cobalt isotopes with Rosenergoatom being the world leader in isotope generation with up to 20% share of annual supplies on the global market.
“Cobalt absorbers loading in the eighth RBMK unit marks the fulfilment of our international obligations under the contract with Nordion, a major global supplier for irradiation centers. This confirms and maintains positions of ROSATOM represented by Rosenergoatom as a reliable and dependable partner on international markets. We have plans to expand isotope business with various isotope products, including use of irradiation capabilities of different-type reactors, contributing to achievement of ROSATOM’s strategic goal of creating new products for Russian and global markets,” Nikita Konstantinov noted.