escalated to 1974 dollars. The data seemed applicable to equipment having hot side temperatures between 260°C (1000 psi) and 583°C (1450 psi). The remaining plant was divided into two major parts: costs proportional to plant rating, and fixed costs independent of plant size. For plants with a capacity of less than 300 MWe, the costs proportional to size were mainly due to the turbine-generator, condenser and wet cooling tower. These costs were 55$/kWe. Fixed costs of 42$/kWe were applicable to plants greater than about 100 MWe. For sizes less than 100 MWe, these costs increased and were about 70$/kWe at 60 MWe. The items included in this latter cost area are equipment, structural bases, controls, buildings and the electric substation. Therefore, for a 100 MWe to 300 MWe plant, the Rankine plant costs are 97$/kWe (excluding a steam generator) in 1974 dollars. Using an inflation factor of 1.11 for the period 1974 to 1975, and basing a 100 MWe rated sun following plant on having 120% peak capacity, the cost for the Rankine plant becomes 129$/ kWe. This is arbitrarily raised to 150$/kWe herein to take account of some underestimation of plant costs in recent years. When a steam generator is required as with transport systems 1, 3, 4 and 5, 16$/kWe is added. Again correcting to 1975 dollars and introducing a 120% of rated capacity, the steam generator costs become 21$/kW. The total plant costs are then 150$/kWe with the steam generator. Similarly, this has been raised to 175$/kWe to account for plant cost underestimation in recent years. These costs are considered to represent overnight construction costs without construction interest or escalation, spares, contingency or startup. Thus, Rankine plant costs are estimated to be 150$/kWe or 175$/kWe (with a steam generator) in 1975 dollars.
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