Research Reactor Cost

[Lester Slaback <Lester.Slaback@NIST.GOV>]

Since there has been no reply to Peter's question I'll offer a few comments.
1.  When did you buy your last car with your 1980 salary?  :-)
2.  The proposed DoE Advanced Neutron Source (a 200 MW reactor) was up to
almost $2 billion when congress killed it in the mid nineties.
3.  The NIST Cold Neutron Research Facility, built in 1989-90 and funded at
$25M, would cost more than twice that today, and that did not include our
existing reactor.  Such a facility would be just part of the Australian
expense.
4.  Our reactor, a 20 MW design somewhat similar to the proposed Australian
facilty, was estimated to have a replacement value of almost $200 M in 1990.
5.  While TRIGA designs are somewhat less expensive there are none at 20
MW.  And even a TRIGA is not inexpensive these days.
6.  The Australian costs include the full facility, including world-class
experiment facilities and isotope production facilities.

I find that the older I get the more difficult it is for my mind to
maintain its cost perspective in current inflated dollars.  But please do
not infer from this that I think Peter's question is showing his age.  One
should not throw rocks in a glass house (or at least not very hard).
Disclaimer:  the above are the personal musings of the author, and do not
represent any past, present, or future position of NIST, the U.S. government,
or anyone else who might think that they are in a position of authority. 
Lester Slaback, Jr.  [Lester.Slaback@NIST.GOV] 
NBSR Health Physics 
Center for Neutron Research 
NIST
100 Bureau Dr.  STOP 3543 
Gaithersburg, MD  20899-3543 
301 975-5810 voice
301 921-9847 fax
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