New Construction at Pakistan’s Khan Research Laboratories Consistent with Known Centrifuge Sites

[fatman17]

New Construction at Pakistan’s Khan Research Laboratories Consistent with Known Centrifuge Sites, IHS Markit Says

Thursday, September 15, 2016 9:47 am EDT

"This may be more than coincidence as A.Q. Khan, considered by many to be the founder of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, worked at URENCO before stealing centrifuge designs and returning to Pakistan to work on the country’s centrifuge programme"

LONDON (15 September, 2016) – Construction of a new site within the Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) in Kahuta, Pakistan, bears many similarities to known centrifuge facilities, according to analysis of commercial satellite imagery carried out by IHS Markit (Nasdaq: INFO), a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions.

Project Alpha, a research group of King’s College London, asked IHS Jane’s Intelligence Review to examine commercially available satellite imagery of a newly built site at the KRL. Imagery taken by Airbus Defence and Space on 28 September, 2015 and then again on 18 April, 2016 show the progress of construction at the possible new uranium enrichment complex near Kahuta.

Where is it?

The area of interest is approximately 1.2 hectares and is located within the secure area of the KRL, in the southwestern part of the complex. Roughly rectangular in shape and approximately 140 metres by 80 metres, it is surrounded by scrubland and trees that provide an additional measure of security on the ground.

Site analysis

In addition to being located near to the KRL, a known centrifuge facility, the new building shares similarities with known centrifuge facility structures built by the URENCO enrichment consortium in Capenhurst (in the UK), Almelo (in the Netherlands) and Gronau (in Germany). “This may be more than coincidence as A.Q. Khan, considered by many to be the founder of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, worked at URENCO before stealing centrifuge designs and returning to Pakistan to work on the country’s centrifuge programme,” said Charlie Cartwright, an imagery analyst for IHS Jane’s.

On 28 September, 2015, satellite imagery showed that work on a large building structure had commenced, with a multi-bay steel frame structure visible in commercial imagery. “Bays” are structurally defined areas and may be used for a variety of equipment installations or machinery. At this time, 12 bays were visible.

The spacing of footings in the two bays at the northeastern end of the structure and the whole outer southeastern façade of the structure indicates a requirement for greater load-bearing capacity and greater strength, possibly to house or accommodate heavier ancillary equipment.

While no modern structural techniques are visible to compensate for the area’s seismic activity, footings in all cases appear to be substantial, with considerable quantities of ballast seen at the concrete batch plant area. This suggests that the structure’s foundations are likely to be substantial.

According to Cartwright, the building’s light frame structure and layout of wide bays “are wholly consistent with that of a centrifuge plant for uranium enrichment”, with the IHS Jane’s report noting that “the internal design would permit the accommodation of feed facilities, compressors, electrical control units, cascades and handling facilities for enriched uranium product and waste tails.”

Enhanced security

As well as being within KRL’s secure perimeter, additional security features of this new facility are evident with a northern perimeter wall, visible in satellite imagery, as are several watchtowers. Northeast of the site perimeter, IHS Jane’s has also identified two air defence installations. Although they had been present for at least three years, historical imagery suggests they were not manned during this period. Significantly, imagery from 2016 shows that they have since been refurbished and that they now appear to be manned.

Operations

The site is still under construction, which will continue for at least a further 12 months while plumbing, electrics and ducting for air conditioning installations are undertaken. As such, it is likely that the site will not be ready for occupation until at least late 2017 or early 2018.

“Although it is currently too early to definitively conclude the function and purpose of the new building from imagery alone, it is evident that it is a sensitive site,” said Karl Dewey, proliferation analyst at IHS Jane’s. “It is sited within an established centrifuge facility, has strong security and shows some of the structural features of a possible new uranium enrichment facility. This makes it a strong candidate for a new centrifuge facility,” Dewey added.

Project Alpha discovered the new site while preparing a new baseline study of Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programs.

“It is disappointing to see Pakistan apparently expand its uranium enrichment capacity outside of safeguards whilst not engaging seriously in discussions or negotiations over a fissile material cut-off treaty,” said Ian J Stewart, head of Project Alpha at King’s College London. “It is difficult to see how these actions are consistent with the principles of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a group of responsible nuclear exporters which Pakistan is seeking to join.”

Project Alpha is a research project based at King’s College London that works to understand and counter illicit trade in nuclear and missile technologies. Project Alpha also works to build capacity in governments and the private sector to counter proliferation-related trade. Previous studies by Project Alpha have focused on the covert procurement apparatuses used by the nuclear and missile programs of Iran and North Korea.

Subscribers to IHS Jane’s and IHS Jane’s Intelligence Review can access more satellite imagery analysis about the Kahuta site here

 

[war&peace]

All this hullabulo is in relation to Pakistan's NSG bid and nothing more since no one knows the exact purpose of the site.

 

[maximuswarrior]

Meanwhile, the Americans have handed sensitive nuclear technology on a silver platter to the Indians. No disappointment over that.

Let them be disappointed. Pakistan should continue to strengthen its uranium enrichment capacity. Many nuclear powers around the world are today overhauling and effectively modernizing their nuclear stockpiles and these morons are worried about our reactor. They can go to hell because this is what angers them. We are not going to become another Syria or Iraq. We are going to defend to our land tooth and nail.

 

[war&peace]

Yes we should enhance the product of U235 and Pu...no need to listen to the bigots.

 

[Dr Shaheryar]

First of all he improved the design and did not steal. The west and it's bullshit. Yes US stole from Germany and even kidnapped their scientists. But who gives a fu_k. The second question is everybody is destroying or downsizing their stockpiles then how come US and Russia testing new Missiles that can carry nuclear weapon recently. The west is totally against anybody who can be a threat to them and Israel. We should do our work and don't listen to the barking dogs and specially our neighbors.

 

[Skyliner]

Tention not...Mast mahool tay mitthay chawll, In ka yeh randi rona chalta retha hai!

 

[Dr Shaheryar]

Yep had hogaye hai. Har waqt ka Rona aur sharam bhi nahin ati.

 

[khail007]

Gents be careful, let aside those bigots criticising Pakistan for such projects, soon Mr 'HOODBHOY' will lead this campaign.

 

[maximuswarrior]

First of all he improved the design and did not steal. The west and it's bullshit. Yes US stole from Germany and even kidnapped their scientists. But who gives a fu_k. The second question is everybody is destroying or downsizing their stockpiles then how come US and Russia testing new Missiles that can carry nuclear weapon recently. The west is totally against anybody who can be a threat to them and Israel. We should do our work and don't listen to the barking dogs and specially our neighbors.

AQ actually went back to The Netherlands to fight the accusations in the court of law. Guess what, they couldn't prove anything.

AQ Khan memorized all the stuff. You can't call that stealing LMAO

There is only one thing to do for Pakistan. Keep building better and bigger nukes. This is our insurance policy. We won't let anyone touch our country and we don't have any shortage of haters and warmongers in the word today.

 

[war&peace]

Now we should concentrate on big beauties..You know what I mean ?

 

[coffee_cup]

"This may be more than coincidence as A.Q. Khan, considered by many to be the founder of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, worked at URENCO before stealing centrifuge designs and returning to Pakistan to work on the country’s centrifuge programme"

WTF is that? Do people even think before posting?

What cr@p!

 

[The Accountant]

I think the way forward is onlyy deployment of icbm with mirv capability ... This will give nightmare to usa if they try to engage us ... Then we can focus on our economyy ...

Second capability we need is antiship ballistic missile ... It should be even more easy to defend politicqlly as we can always say its for india but actually it would be against anyone who try to be oversmart ...

 

[I S I]

bullshit opening of fear mongering article.

 

[wiseone2]

What technology has America sold to India ??

 

[Dr Shaheryar]

Main articles: Nuclear power in the Netherlands and Netherlands and weapons of mass destruction
Receiving his doctorate engineering in 1972, Khan joined the senior staff of the Physics Dynamics Research Laboratory in Amsterdam from a recommendation by his mentor, Martin J. Brabers.[17] His initial studies were on the high-strength metals used in the development of centrifuges.[17] Gas centrifuges were first conceived by American physicist Jesse Beams as part of the Manhattan Project but the studies were discontinued in 1944.[18] The Physics Laboratory was a subcontractor for Urenco Group which was operating a uranium-enrichment plant in Almelo, Netherlands.[17] Established in 1970, Urenco employed the centrifuge method to assure a supply of enriched uranium for nuclear power plants in the Netherlands.[19] When Urenco offered him to join the senior scientific staff there, Khan left the Physics Laboratory where he performed physics experiments on uranium metallurgy,[17] to produce reactor-grade uranium usable for light water reactors.[17] Urenco used the Zippe-type gas centrifuges— a method invented by German mechanical engineer Gernot Zippe in the Soviet Union's program.[17] Enrichment of uranium is an extremely difficult physical process, as U235 exists in natural uranium at a concentration of only 0.7%; Urenco used the Zippe method to separate the fissile isotopes U235 from non-fissile U238 by spinning UF6 gas at up to ~100,000RPM.[17] His pioneering research led to the improvement of the Zippe method, which at that time, was an emerging technology whose publications were classified by the Soviet Union.[17] Khan's leading-edge research in metallurgy brought laurels to Urenco, which had him as one of the most senior scientists at the facility where he researched and studied.[17] His pioneering research greatly improved the technological efficiency of the Zippe method; eventually, Urenco gave Khan access to the blueprints for the Zippe centrifuge to find mathematical solutions for the physics problems in the gas centrifuges.

Kindly go through history of other countries before making accusations.​