Cobalt-60's Supply Problem Just Got a Fix

A landmark reactor agreement could finally ease Europe's risky dependence on scarce cobalt-60 for medical sterilisation

14 May 2026

For decades, Europe's gamma sterilisation industry has rested on a shaky bet: that cobalt-60, the isotope used to sterilise billions of medical devices each year, would keep showing up on schedule. A deal signed in January 2026 suggests the industry is done gambling.

Nordion, Westinghouse Electric Company, and PSEG Nuclear have agreed to produce cobalt-60 inside a standard pressurised water reactor for the first time. That matters because pressurised water reactors account for more than 70 percent of commercial nuclear plants worldwide, yet cobalt-60 has historically come from a handful of specialised heavy-water reactors with limited geographic reach. The shift from niche infrastructure to mainstream reactors opens a production pathway that is both scalable and far less concentrated.

European manufacturers stand to benefit most. The European Commission has already flagged the continent's reliance on a narrow base of Canadian and Russian reactor sources as a strategic vulnerability. When gamma sterilisation accounts for roughly 40% of all contract sterilisation globally, that exposure is hard to ignore. Alternatives exist on paper, but electron beam technology demands heavy capital investment and cannot handle every device type.

The first implementation is planned at PSEG's Salem Nuclear Generating Station in New Jersey, with a 2026 target pending US regulatory approval. Nordion, the world's leading cobalt-60 distributor and a Sotera Health company, will distribute the isotope to customers in more than 40 countries. Nordion President Riaz Bandali has said the partnership comes at a critical moment, with demand climbing and accelerator-based alternatives struggling to deploy at scale.

None of this will happen overnight. Regulatory timelines could push back production, and yields from pressurised water reactors will need optimisation before they meaningfully supplement existing supply. But for European device makers already navigating tighter MDR and IVDR compliance requirements, a broader isotope supply chain addresses one of sterilisation's most stubborn structural risks. One agreement won't rewrite the entire supply map, but it cracks open a door the industry has been leaning against for years.