OREANDA-NEWS. November 18, 2010. He started his inspection from the visit to the MIR reactor which served for testing of the fuel for different power reactor facilities, but the characteristics of which allows for production of radioisotopes for industrial and medical purposes. Sergey Stepashin accompanied by Governor of Ulyanovsk region Sergey Morozov visited the radiochemical association where the project of molybdenum-99 production in SSC RIAR was being implemented.

This project is included (as one of the top-priority projects) into the project portfolio of the Commission for economical development and modernization of the economy supervise by RF President Dmitry Medvedev. The site for molybdenum –99 production the equipping of which was started in September of 2009 is almost ready for startup of the preparation production. Aсcording to Director if SSC RIAR Alexander Bychkov, upon completion of the running and cold tests of the first stage of the complex equipment, supplies of pilot lots of molybdenum –99 to the world market will be commenced at the end of December. Upon attainment of projected capacity – up to 800 Ci per week – the first stage of the project will be completed and the second stage of the complex will be put into operation in 2011. In 2012 the volume of the preparation production will increase up to 2500 Ci per week.

“It’s very important that RIAR has managed to preserve the unique reactor base which now makes it possible for the institute to develop such important spheres as radiation medicine. I think RIAR now is one of the key enterprises producing radioactive source and medicines in Russia. The applied trend of the nuclear power industry – production of isotopes for medical purposes – is in the great demand now at the domestic market. Everything I’ve seen is impressive, and I’m going to prepare information on the course of the molybdenum –99 project implementation by RIAR for the President of the Russian Federation”, Sergey Stepashin said.