It has been reported that North Korea is carrying out construction to replace a large, long-distance concentrate transport pipe from the Musan Joint Enterprise of Mines to the Chongjin Steel Works (steel mill). [This is an English test]
A source from North Hamgyong Province told the NK Times on the 8th, “Since last March, construction has been underway in Buryeong-gun to replace a large, long-distance concentrate transport pipe connecting Musan Mine and Chongjin Steel Works,” and added, “This construction is scheduled to be completed sometime this year. “We are proceeding in accordance with the central government’s instructions to ‘make sure to complete the project.’”
According to sources, construction of a large long-distance concentrate transport pipeline between Musan and Chongjin, North Korea began in April 1974, was completed in just over a year, and began commissioning in November 1975.
Starting with this, the Musan Mines Joint Enterprise starts from Cheolsan (1st stage pump site) at an altitude of 496m above sea level in Seong Square, passes Jucho, Seopungsan Mountain, and Sincham (616m above sea level, 2nd stage pump station), and passes Geumpaeryeong, which is 880m above sea level. It is connected through Charyeong, Pemusan, Musu, Seosang, Gomusang, Buryeong, and Jangheung (height 66.4m above sea level, 3-stage pump facility) to the post-treatment plant in Songnim-dong, Songpyeong District, Cheongjin, at 8m above sea level. The concentrate from which the water was removed was transported to the Kimchaek Iron and Steel Complex and the sintering plant at the Cheongjin Steel Works on a 2,300m long concentrate transport conveyor.
Meanwhile, a typhoon in September 2020 destroyed some sections of the concentrate transportation pipe between Musan and Chongjin, causing problems with the transportation pipe sending the concentrate from the Musan mine beneficiation site to the dehydration tank of the Kimchaek Steel Combined Enterprise and the Chongjin Steel Works raw material plant for over two years. The source said that not only has the flow speed slowed down, but concentrate transportation has completely stopped since November of last year.
In relation to this, North Korea said through the Rodong Sinmun on November 10, 2020, “Recovery work on the large long-distance ‘concentrate transport pipe’ connecting the Kim Chaek Steel Joint Enterprise and the Musan Iron Ore Coal Mine, which was destroyed by flood damage, has been completed and test operation has begun at the end of October. “It was reported that “iron concentrate produced in Musan is being transported to the Kim Chaek Joint Enterprise.”
The source said, “At the time (November 2020), restoration work was done on the Musan-Cheongjin concentrate transport pipe due to flood damage, but the entire section was not replaced.” He added, “The concentrate transport pipe construction being carried out this time is not a restoration work, but a complete work. “Replacement work is in progress,” he emphasized.
He continued, “This year, state (North Korea) investment, including new iron pipes, is being actively made, and especially central executives have come down to the construction site. It seems that they are trying to complete the construction of the concentrate transport pipe by the end of the year under the leadership of the party.” “However, the construction is currently unable to speed up due to a lack of effort and mechanical facilities, as well as various adverse factors such as bad weather,” he explained.
The source said, “It is not an easy task to remove the concentrate transport pipes that were buried decades ago and replace them with new pipelines. The construction section is steep on a hillside, and a lot of rust has been swept away from the already buried concentrate transport pipes, so the task of dismantling them is also difficult.” “It is causing a lot of disruption to construction,” he said.
***This article is a translation based on ChatGPT, so it may not match our NK Times Korean content.