EIB lends €125m to Orano to build Orano Med’s ATEF for thorium‑228 production
- €125 million EIB credit line to finance Orano Med’s industrial platform and the Advanced Thorium Extraction Facility (ATEF).
- ATEF, located in Bessines‑sur‑Gartempe, will be the world’s first industrial facility for large‑scale thorium‑228 production, a precursor to lead‑212.
- Orano Med develops lead‑212 targeted alpha therapies with four clinical programs and partners including Sanofi, Roche and Molecular Partners.
- This is the EIB’s second recent loan to the group, following a €400 million EIB loan announced in March 2025 for the Georges Besse 2 enrichment plant.
Loan and purpose
The European Investment Bank signed a €125 million credit line with Orano to finance development of Orano Med and its industrial infrastructure, notably the construction of the Advanced Thorium Extraction Facility (ATEF) in Bessines‑sur‑Gartempe, France.
ATEF and production chain
ATEF is presented as the world’s first industrial facility dedicated to large‑scale production of thorium‑228, the precursor of lead‑212. Once operational the facility will supply all of Orano Med’s Alpha Therapy Laboratories (ATLabs), where lead‑212 targeted alpha therapies will be produced for patients.
Clinical pipeline and partners
Orano Med is a clinical‑stage unit developing lead‑212‑based targeted alpha therapies and currently runs four programs, either independently or with partners such as Sanofi, Roche and Molecular Partners.
Strategic context and statements
The EIB framed the financing as supporting European priorities in healthcare, innovation and industrial sovereignty. The operation follows a March 2025 €400 million EIB loan for the expansion of the Georges Besse 2 uranium enrichment plant. EIB Vice‑President Ambroise Fayolle and Orano Med CEO Frédéric Desdouits said the financing secures long‑term support for development, production capacity and centralised thorium‑228 supply in France.
Source: European Commission
