Cernavoda used for medical purposes

Canada-based MDS Nordion could invest $10 – $20 million in Romania over four years in order to modify reactors 1 and 2 at the Cernavoda nuclear plant to make the cobalt 60 radioisotope used in medical treatment primarily. “We are nearing completion of the talks with the Romanian State and a decision in this regard is expected for the spring of 2004. If the decision is positive, we will begin works as soon as next year,” said Ian Downie, medical research director within MDS Nordion. The investment scheduled for Romania includes both modifying the reactors and installing special facilities at research institutes across the country that will make the end products based on cobalt 60 for MDS Nordion. Downie said MDS Nordion had the isotope produced only in CANDU-type reactors installed by another Canadian company, AECL. Such reactors are in use in Canada, South Korea, India, China, Argentina and Romania. “We’ve run out of capacities in Canada, and Romania, of all the other countries, is our first option. This will be our first investment abroad.” MDS Nordion is part of the MDS medical group. The group made nearly 1.8bn Canadian dollar revenues in the fiscal 2002, up 10% and operating income of 212 million Canadian dollars, up 38% from the previous year. ZF