Mace has been formally appointed as main contractor for the Vulcan 20-20 building at the Science & Technology Facilities Council鈥檚 (STFC) Rutherford Appleton Laboratory on the Harwell campus in Oxfordshire.
Vulcan 20-20 is an 拢85m project to provide specialist infrastructure needed to house and operate the world鈥檚 most powerful laser. It will replace the existing Vulcan laser, which has supported research in plasma physics and high-energy density science for more than 40 years.
Following the completion of enabling works, the project now moves into its main construction phase.
Mace Construct will lead the construction of two seven-metre-tall targeting bunkers, with walls and soffits up to two metres thick, formed using a specialised radiation-resistant concrete mix designed to shield beams a billion times hotter than the brightest sunlight.
Designed to meet the exacting standards of ultra-high precision environments, the building will feature specialist shielding, vibration isolation and ultra-clean spaces to support the performance of the laser system.
The new facility will house a 20 Petawatt (that鈥檚 200 billion kilowatts) laser system that is capable of delivering, in a single laser pulse, sufficient energy to help scientists recreate and study the extreme conditions found in space, explore new ways to produce clean energy through fusion, and push the boundaries of physics to uncover how the universe works.
This latest appointment for Mace Construct follows its delivery of the Rosalind Franklin Institute, the National Satellite Test Facility and the Extreme Photonics Applications Centre at Harwell. To maintain continuity of expertise, Mace will continue working with the same project team: Fairhurst Design Group, Glanville, Hoare Lea, BB7 and RSK.
Rob Lemming, managing director for public sector and life sciences at Mace Construct, said:
鈥淰ulcan 20-20 is a landmark project for UK science and presents complex technical challenges, but our team鈥檚 experience at Harwell and our track record in delivering high-performance environments means we鈥檙e ready to meet them.鈥�
The contract was awarded through the Southern Construction Framework. Construction is expected to complete in 2027, with commissioning and scientific operations to follow.
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