The estimated cost for an “nth-of-a-kind” (NOAK) Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear power plant requires large capital investment but continues to make the technology an attractive option for nuclear energy development globally, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology report has concluded.

The report summarises an independent assessment of what the next AP1000 series should cost in the context of the experience from the Vogtle site in the US state of Georgia, where two AP1000 units are under construction.

MIT estimates the overnight capital cost for Vogtle-3 and -4 at $7,956/kW. It estimates the overnight capital cost of the next AP1000 in the US to be $4,300/kW and $2,900/kW for the 10th unit in series, based on 2018 dollars.