AECL is commissioning two new MAPLE reactors (MAPLE 1 and 2) and a processing facility at AECL’s Chalk River Laboratories site. These reactors, once completed, can supply the entire global demand for molybdenum-99, iodine-131, iodine-125 and xenon-133. They will be the world’s first reactors dedicated exclusively to medical isotope production. With the completion of the MAPLE reactors, AECL will be able to provide a reliable, uninterrupted supply of radioisotopes for decades to come.

The MAPLE is a pool-type reactor with a compact core of low-enriched uranium fuel surrounded by a vessel of heavy water. At any one time, one MAPLE reactor will be the primary isotope producer while the other reactor will be available for full back-up. Each reactor will have the capacity to produce more than 100% of the world's requirements, with the ability to scale-up production to satisfy increasing demand.