Industry News

The U.S. Department of Energy will break ground in August of 2010 on the $66.8 million Interdisciplinary Science Building at Brookhaven National Lab in Upton, N.Y. The two-story facility will support research on renewable energy and nanomaterials and is supported by $18.6 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. General contractor E.W. Howell of Plainview, N.Y., will begin construction on the facility in September of 2010.

Vestas Wind Systems A/S will open a 48,000-sf research and development office in Louisville, Colo. The Technology R&D Centre will initially house 100 employees. Vestas is a manufacturer of wind turbine blades based in Randers, Denmark.

The University of Nottingham began construction in July of 2010 on the £26 million Bioenergy Centre in the United Kingdom. Designed by maber, the facility will house the Food and Biofuel Innovation Centre, the Centre for Brewing Technology and Innovation, and one of six Sustainable Bioenergy Centre research programs. The 3,100-sm building will feature laboratories, pilot production suites, and facilities for incubation, testing, and demonstration. Completion is expected in March of 2011.

Griffith University is planning to construct the $21 million Sir Samuel Griffith Building in Nathan, Queensland, Australia. Designed by Cox Architects, the zero-emission facility will utilize solar-hydrogen energy and will be completely self-powered. The six-story, 4,000-sm building will house laboratories, classrooms, and offices for environmental science research and teaching. The Griffith Building will also function as a demonstration project for solar-hydrogen energy systems.

The University of Toledo is partnering with Ohio State University to develop the Center for Algal Engineering Research and Commercialization in Toledo, Ohio. Located on the Scott Park Campus for Energy and Innovation, the algae biofuels R&D project is supported by $3 million in funding from the Ohio Third Frontier Wright Projects Program.