Orano has successfully delivered its first batches of stable isotopes

Orano has achieved a new milestone in the production of stable isotopes, delivering its first customers in the quantum computing and medical fields. This is further confirmation of Orano’s Chemistry-Enrichment teams’ ability to innovate for the benefit of cuttingedge sectors.

After inaugurating the "Jean Fourniols" laboratory at the Orano Tricastin site in October 2023, Orano began commercial production at its stable isotopes laboratory in early 2024, after a gradual ramp-up of capacity. The first deliveries of ultra-pure isotopes were completed at the end of April, followed by further deliveries at the end of May. Orano is now able to offer xenon, molybdenum and silicon isotopes, and plans to expand over the coming months the catalog of elements offered by its stable isotopes activity, which is unique in France. The laboratory has also just been awarded triple ISO certification, a guarantee of quality for its customers.

Thanks to their specific properties, stable isotopes, which are non-radioactive forms of atoms, are used in a wide range of applications, notably in the medical field, for medical imaging and oncology, but also in cutting-edge industrial sectors such as quantum computing, as well as in fundamental research.

With this stable isotopes production activity, Orano leverages 60 years of proven expertise in conversion and enrichment technologies at its Tricastin site, notably using the same enrichment technology as that used at the Georges Besse 2 plant for uranium. This stable isotopes activity offers a French alternative for supplying strategic French, European and international markets.

According to Laurent Bigot, head of Orano Stable Isotopes activity, "These first deliveries, completed on time in full while meeting the quality standards, mark a major milestone for our business. It's also the first time that purified stable isotopes have been produced in France using centrifguctaion. I would like to thank and congratulate all our teams for their outstanding efforts in achieving this new milestone.”