---
title: "What? These old things?..."
description: "CBRNe World provides those tasked with defending against CBRN and IED threats with the essential practical, scientific and political information. Access the current and previous issues of the magazine by registering as a member."
url: "https://cbrneworld.com/news/subscribers/what-these-old-things"
date: "2026-07-30T21:06:07+00:00"
language: "en-GB"
---

#  What? These old things?...

 Written by S Johnson on 25 November 2010.

North Korea admitted that it had thousands of centrifuges operating at a previously undetected uranium enrichment facility – as you do! Siegfried Hecker, a Stanford University Scientist, visited the facility at Yongbyon and was astonished to see the centrifuges which are claimed to be for civil electricity generation: \\"At this time, we are actively building a light water reactor and in order to meet the demand, we are operating a modern uranium enrichment system with many thousands of centrifuges,\\" stated the North Korean news agency KCNA. Prof Hecker admitted that the plant did in deed seem to be for electricity generation but added that it could be modified to produce HEU.

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