Nyongbyon nuclear power plant 1
Gross capacity
5MW
Nyongbyon nuclear power plant 1 is a gas-cooled reactor unit at Nyongbyon nuclear power plant in North Korea rated at 5 MW gross. It is operating. Commercial operation began 1 Jan 1985.
Specification
| Reactor type | Gas-cooled reactor (GCR) |
|---|---|
| Model | MAGNOX |
| Size class | Large |
| Coolant | Carbon dioxide |
| Moderator | Graphite |
| Gross capacity | 5MW |
| Net capacity (reference) | not disclosed |
| Net capacity (design) | not disclosed |
| Thermal output | 25MWt |
| Typical enrichment | Natural uranium to 2.5–3.5% U-235 |
Ownership & location
| Site | Nyongbyon nuclear power plant |
|---|---|
| Unit | 1 |
| Country | North Korea |
| Coordinates | 39.7974, 125.7549 |
Fuel chain for this unit
Fuel form
Uranium metal (Magnox) or uranium dioxide (AGR)
Enrichment
Natural uranium to 2.5–3.5% U-235 no enrichment required
Upstream
This unit runs on natural uranium, so its fuel chain has no enrichment step at all: mine → mill → conversion → fabrication. That is the shortest fuel chain of any commercial reactor type, and it makes the operator independent of the four organisations that control enrichment worldwide.
Fabricator capability is recorded against reactor type and model line, not against named units —
utilities do not publish fuel contracts. See the fuel chain.
Timeline
- 1 Jan 1980Construction start
- 1 Jan 1986First criticality
- 1 Jan 1985Commercial operation
Other units at Nyongbyon nuclear power plant
| Unit | Status | Gross MW |
|---|---|---|
| Nyongbyon nuclear power plant 2 | Cancelled | 50 |
| Nyongbyon nuclear power plant 3 | Mothballed | 30 |
Other MAGNOX units
30 units worldwide share this model designation.
| Unit | Country | Status | Gross MW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley nuclear power plant 1 | United Kingdom | Retired | 166 |
| Berkeley nuclear power plant 2 | United Kingdom | Retired | 166 |
| Bradwell nuclear power plant 1 | United Kingdom | Retired | 146 |
| Bradwell nuclear power plant 2 | United Kingdom | Retired | 146 |
| Calder Hall nuclear power plant 1 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 |
| Calder Hall nuclear power plant 2 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 |
| Calder Hall nuclear power plant 3 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 |
| Calder Hall nuclear power plant 4 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 |
| Chapelcross nuclear power plant 1 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 |
| Chapelcross nuclear power plant 2 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 |
| Chapelcross nuclear power plant 3 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 |
| Chapelcross nuclear power plant 4 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 |
Sources
- Global Nuclear Power Tracker, Global Energy Monitor, August 2026 release — CC BY 4.0 · retrieved 2026-09-06 · this unit last researched by GEM on 2024-05-09
- GEM.wiki entry (further reading) — CC BY-SA 4.0 — linked, not quoted