Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-09-28
~ THOMAS Il. HENRY

~ = A4+tAtANNAF ~ ~1~s%
five kinds of reactors. atomic
energy Furnaces. " now are be-
ing developed BY the Atomic
Energy Commission in co-opera-
ton with private industries, q
guides for future Industrial APP
piication Of atomic power Three
OF four other possible types nov
are being investigated BY the
commissions own stan.
This program was described
yesterday before the Atomic In
dustrial Forum BY Louis Il
Roddis. jr.. deputy director Of
the commissions reactor deyel-
opment division. The forum Is
meeting ct the Sheraton-P Park
Hotel.
1T Is 4 $40 million effort, he
raid, to explore roads into the
atomic future. The commission
has recognized its responsibility
to take 4 major part Of the risk
out of private. competitive de-
velopment by determining the
feasibility and cost Of the nu-
irierous reactor designs that have
been proposed. he said.
Joint Enterprise
So far as possible. Mr.. Roddis
pointed out, the partnership OF
private industry is sought. This
policy is being carried out. for ex-
ample, in the joint enterprise OF
the commission and the Du-
uaesne Light Co. Of Pittsburgh IN
building & 60.000-watt pressur-
ized water reactor. the first type
considered in the original pro-
gram. In a similar partnership
between the commission and
North American Aviation. Inc. .
rraphite reactor is being con-
skructed in California.
In both these projects the
major cost will be met by the
Government. It is recognizably
unfair. Mr.. Roddis said. to ask
industry to risk its own money
On enterprises the costs and
practicability Of which have not
been clearly investigated.
The commission Is bearing the
sntire cost Of the three other
major projects, soundness Of
which has been demonstrated on
iii experimental scale. For large
scale industrial application, how
ever. it Is recognized that I'M
foreseer siiags may be en-
eountered.
Research on Designs
For reactor designs the prac-
ticabiiity of which has not yet
been demonstrated, MIR. Roddis
said, the commission Is carrying
ont entirely on its own response
bility an extensive program OF
advanced research and develop
ment.
All these efforts. he said. are
part OF q five year program au-I
tnorized by Congress. the pur-
pose OF which is to establish 81
arm chronological base for Inc
dustrial utilization Of atomic
power.
Industry. he said, Is respond
lilE very favorably to the COM
missions invitation to particle
pate in the program. Proposals.
for cooperative enterprises have
been received already from 40
large companies in various parts
of the country. They propose
plants with a total power gem
Grating capacity of nearly d half
million kiIowatts Of electricity at
/ cost Of about $50 million. The
companies. he said, are asking
the Government to bear less than
10 per cent Of the cost.
Major Economic Problem
The future. however. is far
from clear sailing. it was stressed
BY representatives Of industry.
a major economic problem which
seems partly to have been lost
sight OF In the enthusiasm is the
and chemical re-
processing Of nuclear fuel for
the reactors. The basic fuel. It
Is probable, always will be the
fashionable element uranium. 1t
Is q long way. however. from
rocks containing natural uran-
luin and the refinement neces-
sary before the mineral Is OF any
value In nuclear reactors.
Until the cost of this can be
greatly reduced, Stanley B:
Robot Of the Sylvania Electric
Products Co. told the forum. 1T
does not appear that nuclear
power will be competitive with
power from conventional power
plants for many decades to come,
especially In tflickly populated
areas Eventually, he pointed
out. industry would be expected
10 provide its own fuel. This
will involve tecflniques in which
Industry has no experience and
for which it has no facilities.
His own company. Mr.. Robot
raid, has entered this field but
recognizes that heavy invest
rnents will be necessary for as
much as 10 years before there
can be an adequate return.
The road ahead Of u.s." he
aid sis burnpy. We cannot see
very far. We know that we are
in a realm which is