On 5 January, 2018, lorries loaded with specially packaged Co-60 (C-451 for short) products rumbled across the gate of CIAE and headed for Shanghai, where the C-451 products would been shipped abroad. This marked the first scaled exports of the indigenous products, another milestone of China’s efforts in industrialization of nuclear technologies after localized production of Co-60 source in 2010.

C-451 is a specially designed Co-60 product to meet transportation requirement by export. CIAE is mainly responsible for packaging the Co-60 source into C-451 in its hot cells. Employees of Cobalt Source Center of CIAE spent only less than six months in completing related tests and obtaining license for C-451. On 1 December, 2017, the Center established a “packaging commando” which completed packaging of C-451 up to million curies in ten days, and promptly initiated subsequent transportation of the products.

It is reported that only a few countries, such as Canada, China and Russia, possess the capability to produce Co-60. In such context, indigenous Co-60 products are taking an even brighter prospect in the international market.