Progress at North Korea’s Experimental Light Water Reactor at Yongbyon

Progress at North Korea’s Experimental Light Water Reactor at Yongbyon

BY: 38 NORTH

FEBRUARY 19, 2018

A 38 North exclusive with analysis by Frank V. Pabian, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., and Jack Liu.

Figure 1. Overview of the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center Area.

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Commercial satellite imagery from 2017 through February 11, 2018 indicates steady progress has been made towards the operationalization of the (100 MWth/30 MWe[1]) Experimental Light Water Reactor (ELWR) at North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center. Having been under construction since 2010, the ELWR seems to be nearing operational status based on improvements made over the past year, including new provisions for a more consistent cooling water supply, installation of internal equipment and the connection of the reactor to the local electrical grid. The latest imagery from February 11 shows the ELWR is externally complete, while the two adjacent construction support yards now appear relatively quiet as opposed to mid-2017 when equipment was actively being transferred from the yards into the reactor dome.[2] The overall site remains clean and well maintained with roads and paths cleared of recent (post-January 30, 2018) snowfall.

The February 11 image (Figures 1 and 2) also shows ice melt along the river adjacent to the reactors with steam/vapor emanating from the generator hall of the 5 MWe reactor (Figure 3), which, despite the lack of a visible cooling water outfall, is suggestive of at least partial recent operations. The 5 MWe plutonium production reactor is well maintained and has been operational over the past year, although intermittently or at low levels. Based on the latest and other recent imagery, it is not possible to conclude whether the reactor was defueled/refueled at the end of its predicted operations cycle finishing in late 2017.[3]

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https://www.38north.org/2018/02/yongbyon021918

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