MEC-U Project Opportunity
Matter in Extreme Conditions Upgrade
SLAC’s Matter in Extreme Conditions Upgrade (MEC-U) Project will build a new major laser facility at LCLS, stemming from the MEC instrument’s success. The new facility aims to dramatically improve understanding of extreme states of matter with applications in energy generation, national security, medicine, aerospace, and planetary science.
Keep reading to understand the project’s purpose and find subcontract opportunities related to MEC-U.
The MEC-U project will support SLAC’s groundbreaking research, creating a facility that enables us to combine high-power lasers with the world’s brightest X-ray source, the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS).
The MEC-U facility will significantly increase the power of the high-intensity laser system to the petawatt class, increase the energy of the shock-driver laser to hundreds of Joules, and expand the capabilities of the MEC instrument.
The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science’s Fusion Energy Sciences funds the MEC-U project. SLAC is partnering with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) to design and construct the facility.
MEC-U Opportunities
MEC-U received DOE Critical Decision 1 (CD-1) approval in October 2021 and is currently in the preliminary design phase. The project is developing Design Guidelines and Performance Specifications (DGPS) to inform the subcontractor to meet SLAC, DOE, and MEC-U project requirements.
Matter in Extreme Conditions Facility Upgrade
Requirements
The construction project is comprised of three main components:
- Location: Adjacent to existing SLAC subterranean facilities.
- Purpose: Housing the laser hall, target areas, and experimental equipment.
- Clean Rooms: Class 10k and 100k with stringent temperature and humidity controls.
- Electrical Systems: Supporting high-power lasers with special grounding requirements.
- Mechanical Systems: Providing temperature control via air and water-source equipment.
- Interior Structures: Steel equipment platform, heavy concrete shield walls, and clean room partitions.
- Integration: Mechanical, electrical, and access control systems integrated with SLAC safety systems.
- Conveying Systems: Two elevators and an overhead crane.
- Expansion Option: The RFP includes an option for ~10,000 square feet of additional laboratory and control room space.
Timeline
SLAC seeks an experienced general contractor to deliver the MEC-U project successfully. The preliminary procurement and construction timeline is below.
NOTE
This schedule is subject to change.
MEC-U Schedule
ACTIVITY | PLANNED TIMEFRAME* |
|---|---|
DOE Critical Decision 0 (CD-0) Approval | January 2019 |
DOE Critical Decision 1 (CD-1) Approval | October 2021 |
RFP Award | Q4 FY2025 |
Construction Begins | Q4 FY2026 |
