Increase in capital costs for US NPP construction

During 15 years (from 1967 to 1981) the US nuclear power engineering development was characterised by constant growth of estimated capital costs and planned terms of NPP construction. In fact, the annual growth of costs indicated in this period made up averagely 25%. Such a high growth became one of the main reasons for excluding in 1972-1983 108 nuclear power units from NPP construction programs, planned by various power supply companies. Sufficient reduction of electric load growth rate from 7% (a stable number typical of the period up to 1973) to 2.7 per a year, forecasted for 1984-1993, can be considered as one of the main reasons for nuclear power growing depression which has begun since the end of 1978. Moreover, experts believe, that hardening the requirements to NPP operation safety, development of an excessively large number of norms and specifications concerning environmental protection, delay in terms of NPP construction and sufficient growth of capital costs for their construction, also played an important role