Pacific Northwest National Lab Breaks Ground on Grid Storage Launchpad

The U.S. Department of Energy began construction in April of 2022 on the $75 million Grid Storage Launchpad at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash. Designed by Kirksey Architecture with Arup as engineering consultant, the 86,000-sf structure will provide 35 labs for the development of advanced energy storage technologies. Fostering collaboration between academic, industry, and government partners, the project will feature specialized environments for the validation and testing of basic materials, components, and prototype devices under realistic operating conditions. Open offices with flexible workstations will accommodate approximately 105 staff members, while a visualization lab with multimedia displays will allow scientists to analyze the role of energy storage in future grid scenarios and create new performance requirements. Harvey Cleary Builders is the construction manager for the facility, which is slated for occupancy in early 2023.