IBA and Framatome form Ekalia to industrialize astatine-211 production
From the Energy digest for 2026-10-19
What happened: On October 19, 2026 (~11:30 AM ET), ANS's Nuclear Newswire reported that on Friday, October 16, Framatome and Ion Beam Applications (IBA) announced the next step in their plan to advance industrial-scale production of astatine-211 in Europe and the United States: they have formed Ekalia, a jointly owned company through which they will deploy a network of At-211 production sites close to customers. According to IBA, the first production site is planned in Nantes, France, with an expected investment of €30 million (about $33.6 million).
What's genuinely new: A debut — a new storyline. The record carries no prior thread on industrial astatine-211 production or on either partner. It is distinct from the Octlo medical-isotope reactor plans opened October 15 (different companies, a different isotope supply route, and a European anchor site).
Watch: The rest of Ekalia's site network, the Nantes permitting outcome, first production dates, and where the US sites land.
Links: ANS Nuclear Newswire