Dept of Atomic Energy to set up nuclear reactor in Visakhapatnam for medical needs, cancer treatment

Mumbai, Oct 12 (PTI) The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) will set up an exclusive nuclear reactor in Visakhapatnam to produce medical isotopes aimed at boosting India’s self-reliance in radioisotopes and making cancer treatment more affordable, a senior Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) official said.

The proposed facility, which is to be established under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, will be India’s first reactor dedicated solely to the production of medical isotopes used in diagnostics and therapy for cancer and other diseases.

“DAE has decided to set up a nuclear reactor exclusively for producing isotopes for medical purposes, particularly for cancer treatment. It is expected to come up within the next four to five years under a PPP arrangement,” the official told PTI.

He said the reactor will be located in Visakhapatnam and will not only cater to the domestic demand but also support exports. “It will take care of the entire requirement within India and also enable exports,” he said.

Emphasising the project’s significance, the official added that approval has been granted and funding is awaited. “Since it is a PPP initiative, private players are expected to invest and become stakeholders. They will have the rights to sell the radioisotopes, while NPCIL and BARC will be involved in designing and execution. The operation will be handled by NPCIL,” he said.

Currently, India does not have a dedicated reactor solely for isotope production. The existing reactors used for nuclear medicine also conduct physics and radiation-related experiments, they said.

BARC presently supplies around two lakh units of nuclear materials annually to medical institutions across India for diagnostics and treatment of diseases such as cancer. “About 10 per cent of the total patient load is handled by Tata Memorial Centre, while 370 hospitals together contribute nearly 60 per cent,” the official said.

According to BARC’s data, nearly two lakh isotopic sources are supplied annually for PET scans, CT scans, and other nuclear medicine procedures.

The new reactor aims to make India self-sufficient in producing these critical radioisotopes, reducing dependence on imports from Europe, Australia, and other Asian countries, they said. "It is also expected to position India as a major player in the global nuclear medicine market," the official said.

Radioisotopes are unstable atomic nuclei that emit energy and particles as they decay to stable forms. They are widely used in nuclear medicine for imaging and treatment of cancer. They also have extensive industrial applications, including detecting flow malfunctions, evaluating reactor designs, monitoring product quality, and ensuring process efficiency.

At present, major radioisotopes in India are produced by BARC at its Trombay campus and through an accelerator facility in Kolkata. PTI AB SKY SKY