en.Wedoany.com Reported - Recently, China Isotope & Radiation Corporation (CIRC) announced that the second phase of its radioactive source R&D and production base, operated by its subsidiary Chengdu Gaotong Isotope Co., Ltd., has been completed, with an expansion of items covered under its radiation safety license. With the official launch of production lines for radioactive sources such as Californium-252, Cesium-137, and Americium-241, the base has fully entered the production and operation phase. CIRC stated that this is currently the largest radioactive source R&D and production base in Asia.

According to the announcement, the base currently houses 14 radioactive source production lines, including those for Carbon-14 sources and Krypton-85 sources, capable of producing radioactive source products covering over 70 nuclides, with a designed annual production capacity exceeding 100,000 units. The related products serve industries such as industry, agriculture, medicine, national defense, and aerospace, forming a comprehensive supply capability ranging from conventional industrial sources to some high-tech, high-value-added radioactive sources.

From Phase I Licensing to Phase II Expansion, the Base Enters Full Operation Stage

Located in the core area of the Jiajiang Nuclear Technology Application Industrial Park in Sichuan, the project officially commenced in September 2022, with a total investment of approximately 700 million yuan and covering an area of about 88 mu (approx. 5.87 hectares). In August 2025, Phase I of the project obtained a radiation safety license, officially granting the base the qualifications for radioactive source production and sales. With the completion of the license expansion for Phase II, the main production capacities planned for the project have been essentially realized.

The radiation safety license is a core prerequisite for a radioactive source project to commence production. The completion of the Phase II expansion signifies that newly added production facilities, radiation protection systems, radioactive material management, waste treatment, and emergency response systems have passed regulatory review, allowing products such as Californium-252, Cesium-137, and Americium-241 to legally enter the production and operation phase.

These new production lines further expand the product boundaries of the base. When Phase I obtained its license in 2025, CIRC had already clearly stated that it would subsequently add production capabilities for Californium-252, Cesium-137, and Americium-241. The Phase II certification now indicates that these plans have transitioned from the construction stage to the actual capacity release stage.

Behind "Over 70 Nuclides" Lies the Centralized Integration of Radioactive Source Production Capabilities

Radioactive sources are not a single product. Different nuclides, activity levels, source structures, and encapsulation methods impose varying requirements on production processes, hot cell conditions, shielding design, leak testing, and quality control. The ability to cover over 70 nuclides reflects a core competency in the engineering manufacturing and safety management system for multi-nuclide, multi-specification radioactive sources.

For a long time, some of China's radioactive source production facilities were scattered, and some production lines were built earlier, creating a need for upgrades in automation, equipment levels, production efficiency, and product spectrum. With the full operation of the Jiajiang base, CIRC can consolidate more R&D, preparation, encapsulation, testing, and service capabilities onto a unified platform, driving the renewal of traditional production capacity and improving large-scale production and product delivery capabilities.

According to information disclosed by CIRC, in addition to providing radioactive source products, the base will also engage in radioactive source resource recycling and irradiation services. This implies that its business scope will gradually extend from pure radioactive source manufacturing to radioactive resource utilization, technical services, and full lifecycle management. [Hong Kong Stock Exchange Announcement]

Jiajiang is Forming a Nuclear Technology Application Industrial Cluster

The Jiajiang Nuclear Technology Application Industrial Park, where the base is located, is one of the earliest specialized nuclear technology application parks in China to receive an overall environmental impact assessment approval. Besides the CIRC radioactive source project, the park also hosts facilities for medical isotope production, Molybdenum-99/Technetium-99m generators, Iodine-131 pharmaceuticals, as well as supporting R&D and public service facilities, covering industrial directions including isotopes, radiopharmaceuticals, radioactive sources, and nuclear technology application equipment.

After the full operation of the radioactive source base, the Jiajiang Industrial Park will simultaneously possess the capacity to host projects for medical isotopes, industrial radioactive sources, and radiopharmaceuticals. For the isotope industry, the centralized layout of production facilities facilitates the sharing of foundational conditions such as radiation monitoring, waste treatment, logistics and transportation, emergency management, and professional talent, thereby reducing the cost for individual projects to independently establish supporting systems.

CIRC Continues to Extend Along the Full Radioactive Source Industry Chain

This production launch also aligns with CIRC's recent layout of the radioactive source industry. In December 2024, Gaotong Isotope participated in establishing a joint venture for the isotope industry, planning to engage in the extraction and separation of nuclides from the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle, radioactive source preparation, R&D and processing of isotope products, and waste source recovery, promoting the recycling of radioactive resources.

From nuclide resource extraction and radioactive source manufacturing to product sales, technical services, and waste source recovery, CIRC is building a more complete industrial closed loop. The Jiajiang base undertakes the most critical large-scale manufacturing link. Its future competitiveness will also depend on production line utilization rates, product stability, raw material supply, customer certification, and overseas market access.

According to the company's plan, the new capacity from the base will prioritize meeting domestic demand in China and gradually expand into the international market, providing radioactive source products and nuclear technology application services to countries along the "Belt and Road" initiative. For China's radioactive source industry, the full operation of the project means the country now has a production platform with a more complete product range, larger production capacity, and more concentrated manufacturing facilities. It also provides a new industrial foundation for the localization and stable supply of some high-end radioactive sources.

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