Talk-Polywell.org

In late 2006, it became clear that National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) construction project would not be able to meet its approved baseline total project cost of $102M or its completion date of July 2009. Since then, DOE, Princeton University, and PPPL have worked extensively together to understand the issues and plot a course of action that maximizes the benefits for the scientific community and the taxpayers, and ensures an exciting path for PPPL research well into the future. Following several internal and external reviews over the past 18 months, it has been concluded that the budget increases, schedule delays and continuing uncertainties of the NCSX construction project necessitate its closure, and that PPPL's future as a world-leading center of fusion energy and plasma sciences is more assured by a renewed focus on the successful Spherical Torus confinement concept.

The Office of Science always weighs the scientific benefits to be obtained from facilities against the cost to the taxpayer - in this case the escalating costs and remaining uncertainties make continuation of the construction project untenable. The latest cost estimate is $170M with an August 2013 scheduled completion. An Office of Science review (April 2008) concluded that the project has not yet met the requirements needed to approve a new baseline cost and schedule.