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N Korea Maybe Doubled Uranium Enrichment Capacity: US Think Tank

N Korea Maybe Doubled Uranium Enrichment Capacity: US Think Tank
folder_openKoreas access_time10 years ago
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Local Editor


Satellite images showed that North Korea may have doubled uranium enrichment capacity at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex, an American think tank viewed on Thursday.

The US Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) reiterated that the images showed the building of the plant at Yongbyon had been expanded to twice its original size over the past four months.

When the North revealed the existence of the facility to visiting scientists in 2010, it contained 2,000 centrifuges for enriching uranium.
N Korea Maybe Doubled Uranium Enrichment Capacity: US Think Tank
ISIS mentioned in a report that provided the expansion meant that the centrifuges would be doubled to 4000, the facility would be able to produce around 68 kilograms of uranium yearly, which is enough for three nuclear bombs.

However, the report relied of hypotheses because of the covert nature of the plant. "It is not even known if North Korea intends to produce weapon-grade uranium in this facility," it said.

Moreover, the ISIS report noted that assessing the North's uranium enrichment capacity was "fraught with uncertainty", especially given suspicions of other hidden centrifuge facilities around the country.

Source: News Agencies, edited by website team

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