Economic Comparison of Fusion Power Plant Designs

Cost estimates derived in fusion power plant design studies over the past 10 years are normalized to a common base and compared. It is found that direct costs tend with time toward $1,000/kW_e and cost of electricity toward 30 mills/kWh, for all reactor types. Costs are in 1980 dollars. Only small reductions in cost are indicated as core mass density increases beyond a value of approximately 100 kW_e/Tonne.