A quiet but monumental shift in global oncology is taking shape on the shores of Lake Huron. Bruce Power has officially completed major construction on a highly specialized, heavily shielded facility known as a hot cell.
The new structure will allow Bruce Power to localize and accelerate the production of lutetium-177, a medical isotope at the forefront of prostate cancer treatment and precision medicine. The nuclear operator is fundamentally rewriting the logistics of how life-saving medicine reaches patients worldwide by bringing the critical processing step directly onto its main campus.
Constructed through a close Canadian partnership between Bruce Power, Kinectrics, and Bird Construction, the highly reinforced structure is designed to handle intensely radioactive materials with surgical precision. The build demanded more than 90,000 kilograms of concrete and is sealed by a massive 7,000-kilogram personnel door. Operators will manage the irradiated materials from behind one of the largest lead-glass viewing windows of its kind in the world, utilizing specialized precision manipulators to safely execute the work.
The primary objective of this heavy-duty setup is to perform Target Carrier Removal directly on-site. Historically, harvested isotopes required complex, time-sensitive transport to off-site facilities for this phase of preparation. By consolidating this process at the Bruce site, the operator expects to significantly streamline the supply chain, reduce hazardous shipping requirements, minimize carbon emissions, and enhance overall worker safety.
"Today’s milestone represents the next chapter in Bruce Power’s leadership in producing cancer-fighting medical isotopes and demonstrates what can be achieved through Canadian innovation, expertise and partnership," said James Scongack, Bruce Power’s Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice-President. "From the design and engineering work to construction and project execution, this facility showcases the strength of Ontario’s nuclear industry and supply chain. By bringing more of the isotope supply chain infrastructure and activities on site, we are creating a more efficient pathway to deliver cancer-fighting therapies to patients around the world while reinforcing Canada’s position as a global medical isotope superpower."
The project also directly supports Bruce Power’s ongoing, historic partnership with the Saugeen Ojibway Nation. Known as Gamzook’aamin aakoziwin, which translates to We Collaboratively Fight the Sickness, the isotope partnership has provided revenue for the Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation and the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation since 2022. These funds are funnelled directly back into community priorities and local economic development.
"The completion of the hot cell reflects what is possible when Indigenous communities and industry work together with a shared vision for the future," said Lester Anoquot, SON Councillor and member of the Gamzook’aamin Aakoziwin LP oversight committee, who was SON Chief when the partnership was first established. "Through Gamzook’aamin aakoziwin, Saugeen Ojibway Nation is helping build a globally significant isotope supply chain that brings healing to people around the world while creating lasting economic benefits for our communities and future generations."
Bruce Power has been a cornerstone of isotope production for decades, harvesting cobalt-60 to sterilize nearly a third of the world's single-use medical devices since 1986. In 2022, the company made history when its Isotope Production System became the first commercial power reactor in the world to produce lutetium-177. With cancer diagnoses remaining a pressing reality across Canada, the provincial government views this infrastructure expansion as a critical asset for patient care.
"Ontario is helping lead the world in producing the medical isotopes used to treat cancer, giving doctors more tools to care for the 247,000 Canadians diagnosed with the disease every year," said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines. "Bruce Power’s investment in a new on-site facility will accelerate the production of cancer-fighting medical isotopes and expedite supply to patients around the world. As someone whose family has been impacted by cancer, I am proud that Ontario’s nuclear advantage is helping improve patient care here at home and across the globe."
"The completion of Bruce Power’s on-site hot cell is a significant milestone for Canada’s growing medical isotope sector and a testament to what can be achieved through collaboration across Ontario’s nuclear industry," said John D'Angelo, President, Kinectrics. "Kinectrics was proud to lead the design and engineering of this unique facility, bringing together specialized nuclear expertise to safely and efficiently support the production of lutetium-177. We are proud to continue our partnership with Bruce Power in advancing innovation that is making a meaningful difference in health care."
With the physical construction phase wrapped up, the facility is entering its next critical chapter. Bruce Power is currently waiting on an application submitted to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to update its lutetium-177 licensing, allowing the hot cell to be officially integrated into active operations. As the project shifts into licensing, commissioning, and final testing, the team is already looking toward future expansion. Plans are currently underway to scale up isotope production even further by installing a secondary Isotope Production System within Unit 6, ensuring that Ontario remains at the absolute cutting edge of global precision medicine.
