Environmental

Ground Broken for New Job-Creating Accelerator Research Facility at DOE’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Illinois


WASHINGTON, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–December 16, 2011. Today, ground was broken for a new accelerator research facility being built at the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) in Batavia, Illinois.

Supported jointly by the state of Illinois and DOE, the construction of the Illinois Accelerator Research Center (IARC) will provide a state-of-the-art facility for research, development and industrialization of particle accelerator technology, and create about 200 high-tech jobs. DOE’s Office of Science Director William Brinkman participated in the groundbreaking ceremony.

“The Illinois Accelerator Research Center will help fuel innovation by developing advanced technologies, strengthening ties with industry and training the scientists of tomorrow,” said Dr. Brinkman. “The Department of Energy welcomes the opportunity to partner with the State of Illinois and looks forward to seeing IARC come to fruition.”

IARC will house 42,000 square feet of technical, office and educational space for scientists and engineers from Fermilab, DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory, local universities and industrial partners. A major focus of the facility is to develop partnerships with private industry for the commercial and industrial application of accelerator technology for energy and the environment, medicine, industry, national security and discovery science. IARC will also offer unique, advanced educational opportunities to a new generation of engineers and scientists.

More than 30,000 accelerators are at work around the world in industry, medicine, security, defense and science. Products that are processed, treated or inspected by particle beams have an annual value of more than $500 billion.  Today’s particle accelerators address many of the challenges confronting our nation in the areas of sustainable energy, a cleaner environment, economic security, health care and national defense. The accelerators of tomorrow have the potential to make still greater contributions.

The Illinois Jobs Now! capital bill provided $20 million to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to fund a grant for the design and construction of a new building that will form part of the IARC complex.

DOE is providing $13 million to Fermilab to refurbish an existing heavy industrial building that will be incorporated into the complex, adding 36,000 square feet of specialized work space.

More information about the Illinois Accelerator Research Center is available at: http://www.fnal.gov/pub/IARC

More information about the use of accelerators is available at: http://www.acceleratorsamerica.org/.

DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the Unites States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.  For more information, please visit the Office of Science website at science.energy.gov.

Source: energy.gov


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