Analysis has shown that the Experimental Light Water Reactor (ELWR) at the Yongbyon nuclear facility, the heart of North Korea’s nuclear development, may be in the early stages of operation.
On the 24th (local time), 38 North, a media outlet specializing in North Korea, reported that the temperature of the ELWR reactor containment building appeared to have decreased significantly based on high-resolution thermal images taken of the Yongbyon nuclear facility.
The ELWR reactor containment building is made up of a double-walled dome with a thickness of 20 to 30 cm, which is intended to prevent radiation release in the event of an accident.
38 North said heat signatures were detected in the distribution facility connected to the ELWR, and hot water was continuously being discharged from the cooling lines.
“This situation could indicate two possibilities: a pre-operational test phase or a low-power operation mode with a gradual ramp-up phase,” he explained.
EWLR, whose construction began in 2010, was not completed for about 10 years and had difficulty operating.
However, there is a series of analyzes that EWLR appears to have recently been completed and is partially in operation.
38 North said it had confirmed through satellite photos that coolant was being discharged from ELWR in addition to the 5 megawatt (㎿) nuclear reactor that has been in operation since July 2022, and pointed out, “This may show that it is almost completely completed.”
The Yongbyon nuclear facility includes North Korea’s first nuclear reactor, IRT-2000 (2MW class), which was completed with support from the Soviet Union in 1965, as well as 5MW and 50MW class reactors, and a 30MW class ELWR.
However, IRT-2000 has already been shut down at the end of its lifespan, and construction of the 50 MW nuclear reactor began in 1986, but construction was halted in 1994 following the North American Geneva Agreement and has not resumed.
For this reason, it has been considered that the only nuclear reactor capable of operating within the Yongbyon facility is the 5 MW class unit, which was completed in 1986. This is because the ELWR, which began construction in 2010, was assessed to have not yet completed its internal construction.
38 North said, “Based on the comments of analysts, including experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Center for Non-Proliferation Research, it is highly likely that ELWR began operation in October of last year.”
North Korea initially cited energy production as a justification for constructing the ELWR, but there are concerns that this could significantly increase production of plutonium, a raw material for nuclear weapons.
Unlike 5 MW reactors, ELWRs can be repurposed from energy production to plutonium production.
It is expected that North Korea will be able to produce up to 6 kg of plutonium if it operates this reactor for one year. This is roughly the amount that can make one nuclear warhead.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.