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By scooby
Hello,

Anyone know the real cost ($) of NIF?

Anyone know the real cost of ICF?
May 12, 2014 at 9:48 PM
Anonymous said...
magine a grand total cost of NIF would be difficult to total for all years to date, 2014.

How much did NIF cost?
https://lasers.llnl.gov/about/faqs#nif_cost
The total cost for NIF including development, vendors, capital, installation, and commissioning was about $3.5 billion.
‪National Ignition Facility‬
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Ignition_Facility

Using preliminary projections by DOE and Lawrence Livermore, we estimate that thetotal cost of building NIF is about $3.9 billion, when all supporting research ...
http://books.google.com/books?id=vbLl6CLR21gC&pg=PA9&lpg=PA9&dq=LLNL+%2B+Total+cost+of+NIF&source=bl&ots=Qrd5LEQKwJ&sig=55gQmeWOdQPk3VUkKU_6Sjw9F7I&hl=en&sa=X&ei=td9xU_OBLtH5oAT3pYDgCA&ved=0CGQQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

Comments

Anonymous said…
The NNSA and LLNL talk of NIF construction as $3.5 billion, but that does not include the construction-related R&D. The total for both those items is around $6 billion. (The New York Times pegged it at $5 billion in an article not too long ago, which is in the right ballpark). Add the continuing NIF related R&D since it was declared operational in 2009 along with the operating costs, and NIF is in the $8 billion range to date. The ICF total is higher because, although Z and Omega and other facilities did (and do) NIF related research that is accurately part of NIF's costs, they also do other research, which should NOT be counted as NIF.
5/14/2014 2:57 PM
Anonymous said…
Yeah you're in the right range. Just double that $3.9 Billion number easily. Was that fancy landscape included ?
5/14/2014 6:23 PM
Anonymous said…
Don't forget that NIF received considerable cost avoidance due to creative accounting practices, which came at the expense of other LLNL programs. This would put the Enron accountants to shame.
5/14/2014 8:23 PM
Anonymous said…
Stop it with the landscaping. It looks good and didn't cost any more than at other areas at the lab.

What would the lab have been without NIF?
5/14/2014 8:24 PM
Anonymous said…
What would the lab have been without NIF?

May 14, 2014 at 8:24 PM

A top-notch nuclear weapon research laboratory? If only...
5/14/2014 8:37 PM
Anonymous said…
I like the NIF landscape. Who did the work? It looks marvelous. President Johnson's first lady, Lady Bird upon visiting LLNL said they need to pretty the place up. Is the landscaper on Angie's List ?
5/14/2014 8:54 PM
Anonymous said…
Have to love that gold-plated NIF sign, a really nice touch.
5/14/2014 9:43 PM
Anonymous said…
LLNL is NIF. NIF is LLNL.
5/15/2014 8:57 PM
Anonymous said…
LLNL is NIF. NIF is LLNL.

May 15, 2014 at 8:57 PM

Time to find a new tit or there will be no more LLNL and lots of people will be gone. I wonder what they will all do now that budgets are tight and funding is going away fast for both.
5/16/2014 6:09 AM
Anonymous said…
Circa 1995, the estimate was less than a billion, with completion in 2001 and ignition in 2004.
5/17/2014 9:53 AM
Anonymous said…
Don't forget all the facilities that lead up to the current NIF facility. They all are part of the NIF project, but were preliminary designs that eventually lead to NIF. Shiva and others should be included. I'm sure it's WELL over 10 billion in today's dollars.
5/28/2014 3:17 PM
Anonymous said…
I'm sure it's WELL over 10 billion in today's dollars.

May 28, 2014 at 3:17 PM

And what is anyone to do with that information?
5/28/2014 8:56 PM
Anonymous said…
And what is anyone to do with that information?

May 28, 2014 at 8:56 PM

Ask if it was worth it, and maybe learn how to not spend 10B on a religious pursuit the next time the opportunity comes up. Lessons learned.
5/30/2014 9:33 PM
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