Energy · United States

What was the AEC's estimated final construction-project cost for the BONUS reactor in 1966, excluding operating expenses?

The Boiling Nuclear Superheater (BONUS) reactor near Rincón, Puerto Rico, was an experimental nuclear plant built by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and the Puerto Rico Water Resources Authority. Construction began in 1960 and the reactor reached its 50-megawatt thermal design level in September 1965. In its June 1966 completion report, the AEC estimated the final cost of its construction project at $13,110,000. It separately estimated $4,444,562 of related operating activities, including research, fuel and training; those expenses must not be described as construction cost. The reactor stopped operating in 1968 and was decommissioned in 1969–1970.