In quest of Nuclear Energy

SOURCE: ISIS - http://www.isis-online.org/publications/southasia/PakistanExpandingNewlabs.pdf


Pakistan Expanding Plutonium Separation Facility Near Rawalpindi
By David Albright and Paul Brannan
May 19, 2009
Pakistan appears to have expanded its plutonium separation capability at the New Labs section of the Pakistan Institute of Science and Technology (PINSTECH) near Rawalpindi. A series of commercial satellite images from February 2002 through September 2006 show the construction of what appears to be a second plutonium separation plant adjacent to the original one, suggesting that Pakistan is increasing its plutonium separation capacity in anticipation of an increased supply of spent fuel from new heavy water reactors. The plutonium separated from the spent fuel is usable in nuclear weapons.

Between 2000 and 2002, Pakistan began constructing a second plutonium production reactor at its Khushab nuclear site.1 In approximately mid-2006, Pakistan began constructing a third plutonium production reactor at the site. Construction of the second reactor appears to be finished,2 and the construction of the third reactor has progressed more quickly than the second.3 ISIS assessed in 2006 that this on-going expansion of Pakistan's plutonium production program was likely linked to a strategic decision by Pakistan to develop a new generation of thermonuclear weapons and smaller, lighter and more powerful plutonium-based weapons. Also in this assessment, ISIS noted that Pakistan would likely need to expand its plutonium separation capacity in order to handle the extra spent fuel from the new reactors.

Image credits- Google Earth

Note- It is interesting to check the temporal changes at the site in Google Earth, which lists images since 2002.