TABLE 4.
The producers of fission 99Mo and their global production volume.
| Irradiation facility a | Country | Irradiated target | Neutron flux, n/cm2S | Year commissioned | Estimated available capacity, six-day Ci/week | Production of 99Mo, Week/year | Estimated available production capacity by 2024 b , six-day Ci/year | Estimated global market share, % | Expected shutdown, year | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global producers | BR-2 | Belgium | HEU/LEU | 1.0E15 | 1961 | 6,500 | 21 | 136,500 | 17 | 2026 | |
| HFR | Netherlands | HEU/LEU | 2.7E14 | 1961 | 6,200 | 39 | 241,800 | 29 | 2026 | ||
| LVR-15 | Czech Republic | HEU/LEU | 1.5E14 | 1957 | 3,000 | 30 | 90,000 | 11 | 2028 | ||
| Maria | Poland | HEU | 3.5E14 | 1974 | 2,200 | 36 | 79,200 | 9 | 2040 | ||
| OPAL | Australia | LEU | 3.0E14 | 2006 | 2,150 | 43 | 92,450 | 11 | 2057 | ||
| +1,350 c | +58,050 c | 7 | |||||||||
| Safari-1 | South Africa | LEU | 2.4E14 | 1965 | 3,000 | 44 | 130,700 | 16 | 2030 | ||
| NRU | Canada | HEU | 4.0E14 | 1957 | 40% (Global market) | N.A | N.A | N.A | 2018 Retired | ||
| Osiris | France | HEU | 1.7E14 | 1966 | 8% (Global market) | N.A | N.A | N.A | 2015 Retired | ||
| Regional producers | RIAR | RBT-6 | Russia | HEU | 1.4E14 | 1975 | 540 | 50 | 27,000 | Domestic use | 2025 |
| RBT-10 | HEU | 1.5E14 | 1983 | 2025 | |||||||
| KAPROV | WWR-c | HEU | 2.5E13 | 1959 | 350 | 48 | 16,800 | Domestic use | 2025 | ||
| RA-3 | Argentina | HEU | 4.8E13 | 1961 | 500 | 46 | 23,000 | Domestic use | 2027 | ||
The information is derived from:
The IAEA’s Research Reactor Database (RRDB): https://nucleus.iaea.org/rrdb/#/home (accessed 8.6.2022), NEA, 2019, Zhuikov, 2014, and NAP, 2018.
BR-2, Belgian Reactor 2; HFR, high flux reactor; OPAL, open pool australian light water; NRU, national research universal; SAFARI-1, South African Fundamental Atomic Research Installation 1; RIAR, the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors; and N.A, Not Available.
Available production capacity: is the upper limit of 99Mo production capability that can be achieved on a routine operating schedule.
Additional 99Mo production capability owing to the engagement of a new processing facility, namely, the ANSTO, Nuclear Medicine (ANM) project, which started in May 2019.