Construction aligns with energy mission needs
March 19, 2015 
RICHLAND, Wash. - A contract was awarded to DGR*Grant Construction of Richland today to build a new chemistry lab building at the D.O.E.'s Pacific Northwest National Lab. Construction is set to begin this spring on the general-purpose chemistry building.
The facility was identified as the number one research space need at PNNL. It will support a broad range of research missions at PNNL and includes features to make the building easier to modify for specific projects.
At approximately 16,000 square feet, the single-story building will cost about $7.5 million to build and furnish. It will feature ten chemistry labs and a small complement of workstations for researchers to use while conducting their experiments. It will be located on the north end of PNNL's core campus in Richland near the corner of Stevens Drive and Horn Rapids Road, adjacent to the nearly complete Systems Engineering Laboratory.
"PNNL looks strategically at a number of factors to develop and maintain the campus, with our science vision and customer needs as the top drivers when it comes to our facility planning," said PNNL Director Mike Kluse.
These modern chemistry labs are necessary to support multiple D.O.E. programs involving molecular science, catalysis, materials, genomics and biogeochemistry research. Initially, research in the new building will focus on energy storage, which includes development of batteries for electric vehicles and very large stationary batteries to support the electric power grid.
"We had the opportunity to work with PNNL's in-house architects and engineers who designed the building to fit the most common and critical needs of our research projects," said Vince Sprenkle, technical group manager for much of the Lab's energy storage work. "In addition to providing much needed lab space, the design and modular nature of the labs enable more work in less space and lets us rapidly reconfigure as plans and needs change."
"DOE has been working closely with PNNL in the past few years to develop a comprehensive facilities strategic plan," said Roger Snyder manager of the Pacific Northwest Location Office, which oversees PNNL for DOE. "This planning ensures that the labs and support buildings are in place for current and future missions of the Laboratory."
The facility meets the Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Building guidelines, which help reduce the total ownership cost of facilities, enhance energy efficiency and water conservation, and provide safe, healthy, and productive environments for staff. For instance, the new building will leverage excess chilled water capacity from the nearby Physical Sciences Facility to cool equipment and provide air conditioning.
The Lab building is expected to be completed in spring 2016. The new facility is part of an ongoing campus strategy to acquire, modernize and sustain facilities and infrastructure to further enable core research and development capabilities at PNNL.
Tags: Energy, Fundamental Science, Operations, Technology Transfer and Commercialization, Batteries, Smart Grid, Chemistry, Catalysis, Economic Development, Facilities
Interdisciplinary teams at Pacific Northwest National Lab address many of America's most pressing issues in energy, the environment and national security through advances in basic and applied science. Founded in 1965, PNNL employs 4,300 staff and has an yearly budget of in excess of $1 billion. It is managed by Battelle for the D.O.E.'s Office of Science. As the single biggest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, the Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information on PNNL, visit the PNNL News Center, or follow PNNL on Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter.
