Evening star., 1960-06-17
ATOMIC
How to Make 1t Pay
Is A-Power Problem
Continued From First Pag,

Continued From First Page
It does not happen by chance.
But although a reactol could
not go up in a mushl oom
cloud, an uncontrolled Maxi
mum Credible Accident would
be nearly as nasty in its re-
suits. 1t would involve a mas
sive steam and chemical ex-
plosion with widespread blast
effects and overtones of radio
activity.
The key to handling a Max
imum Credible Accident, at
least at this stage of atomic
power technology, is contain
ment. Should all else fail, the
force of the blast must be kept
in by the brute strength of
concrete and steel. In plan
ming against the Maximum
Credible Accident, however, ell
else is not permitted to fail.
Each less-than-maximum mis-
hap must be prepared for in
an effective and apparently
foolproof way.
Dresden's Approach
Out of such requirements
comes a plant design like that
of the Dresden station near
Chicago. From a few miles
away, the plants resemblance
to the 1889 New York Worlds S
Fair trylon and perisphere
motif is striking. The princi-
pal features are steel sphere
1870 feet in diameter and a
chimney about twice that
height.
The sphere at Dresden is the
plants outer containment ves-
sci. It is made of special. high
strength, curved plates an inch
thick, f1awlessly welded, with
each weld checked by soap
bubble" air pressure tests for
leaks and by X-rays for weak
spots.
Inside the sphere are other
interlocking precautions -
four in all-before the reactor
core is reached.
Dresden's answer to the
Maximum Credible Accident is
no exception. 1t is described
because it is at once dramatic
and typical. 1t is also extremely
expensive-and here is where
the high cost of atomic power
begins.
1t is not known exactly what
the Dresden plant cost. Com.
monwealth Edison had Sc mil.
lion invested in the site ane
allocated another $50 millior
for the plant. A group of utili.
ties Clipped in an additiona
SIS million of research money
and the General Electric Co
agreed to build the plant for &
fiat $45 million, exclusive oi
land costs.
GE built the plant, all right
but not for $45 million. How
much of a loss the compan,
took land wrote off to re-
search, education or bitter ex.
perience) is a corporate secret
1t is known. however, tina
Dresden actually cost NOR
than the $51 million that i
publicly accounted for. So an,
comparisons of atomic VS.. con
ventional costs must be con
servative in favor of the atom
Costly Kilowatts
Capital investment is usual
reckoned on the basis of dol
lars per kilowatt of installe,
capacity of the plant. Thi
amount varies throughout tn
country, but in Chicago
around $3.50 for modern con
ventional plants. To find Dres
den's cost, it is necessary onl
to divide $51 million by tn
plants rated capacity of 1870
900 kilowatts. The answer
$283-nearly twice the cor
ventional capital cost.
Most utility men belie1
atomic plant construction cost
will come down considerably 6
more is learned about res
safety requirements, and g
some Standardization come
along. At present. every atom
power station is unique.
The biggest single item
steam generation of electricit
is the price of fuel. Atom
power optimistS are pinnir