$224 Million Energy Materials Processing Facility is Being Built by NREL.

An advanced laboratory is constructed to accelerate clean energy innovations to bridge the gap between laboratory-scale innovations and market-ready products.

The new Energy Materials and Processing at Scale (EMAPS) facility, a 127,000-square-foot laboratory, is now under construction by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The $224 million project is aiming to facilitate cooperation between industrial partners, academic institutions, and other DOE and also intends to sped up the development of renewable energy technology.

EMAPS, a multidisciplinary approach to materials research and development, will enable the scaling-up of breakthrough energy materials and processes. It is situated on the east side of NREL's South Table Mountain Campus in Golden, Colorado. Energy storage advanced manufacturing, grid modernization, sustainable chemicals, and fuels for industrial and transportation uses will be the main areas of research for this laboratory.

"The new capabilities we will gain from EMAPS will accelerate innovations in materials and processes that are essential to clean energy technologies, from lab-scale discovery to scale-up for commercialization," was highlighted by NREL Director Martin Keller.

The facility's design includes advanced sustainability strategies and innovative energy efficiency approaches, aiming to achieve a minimum of LEED Gold certification. Campus decarbonization initiatives will be enhanced by the use of electricity rather than natural gas, recycled gray water, and building heat recovery systems.

Jeff Marootian, principal deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, highlighted the importance of the EMAPS facility in achieving national clean energy goals, stating, "America's ability to transition to renewable energy depends on a secure and sustainable supply chain."