News
Safeguards for Pyroprocessing Plants
Project on Managing the Atom Seminar Series
Overview
South Korean officials have argued—particularly in their talks with the United States on a 123 nuclear cooperation agreement—that South Korea should be free to pyroprocess its spent nuclear fuel. Pyroprocessing differs from PUREX (plutonium-uranium extraction) reprocessing, which has been used commercially for decades in nuclear energy and weapons programs around the world. In pyroprocessing, the plutonium separated from spent fuel remains mixed with other elements. South Korean officials have argued that this difference makes pyroprocessing more proliferation resistant than traditional reprocessing. However, key pyroprocessing steps still pose a proliferation risk. The IAEA, South Korean, and U.S. laboratories have been developing safeguards for pyroprocessing, which are yet untested. The debate over pyroprocessing will not end soon, regardless of what happens in South Korea, as other states are also undertaking R&D. The question of pyroprocessing has also implications for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
For more information on this publication:
Please contact
International Security
For Academic Citation:
Heinonen, Olli. “Safeguards for Pyroprocessing Plants.” News, , March 29, 2013.
- Recommended
- In the Spotlight
- Most Viewed
Recommended
Analysis & Opinions
- The New York Times
A History of the Energy We Have Consumed
In the Spotlight
Most Viewed
Analysis & Opinions
- National Post
War Between China and the United States Isn't Inevitable, But It's Likely: An Excerpt From Graham Allison's "Destined for War"
Journal Article
- Research Policy
The Relationship Between Science and Technology
Paper
India's Foreign Policy
Overview
South Korean officials have argued—particularly in their talks with the United States on a 123 nuclear cooperation agreement—that South Korea should be free to pyroprocess its spent nuclear fuel. Pyroprocessing differs from PUREX (plutonium-uranium extraction) reprocessing, which has been used commercially for decades in nuclear energy and weapons programs around the world. In pyroprocessing, the plutonium separated from spent fuel remains mixed with other elements. South Korean officials have argued that this difference makes pyroprocessing more proliferation resistant than traditional reprocessing. However, key pyroprocessing steps still pose a proliferation risk. The IAEA, South Korean, and U.S. laboratories have been developing safeguards for pyroprocessing, which are yet untested. The debate over pyroprocessing will not end soon, regardless of what happens in South Korea, as other states are also undertaking R&D. The question of pyroprocessing has also implications for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
- Recommended
- In the Spotlight
- Most Viewed
Recommended
Analysis & Opinions - The New York Times
A History of the Energy We Have Consumed
In the Spotlight
Most Viewed
Analysis & Opinions - National Post
War Between China and the United States Isn't Inevitable, But It's Likely: An Excerpt From Graham Allison's "Destined for War"
Journal Article - Research Policy
The Relationship Between Science and Technology
Paper
India's Foreign Policy