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SAVANNAH RIVER SITE

Savannah River National Laboratory

The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) is the applied research and development laboratory at the SRS.On May 7, 2004, SRNL was designated as one of only 12 National Laboratories nationwide. In early 2006, the laboratory was further designated as the DOE Office of Environmental Management's "corporate laboratory." As of 2008, SRNL has a total employment of over 900, including a research staff of over 700. FY07 funding for SRNL was approximately $154 million.

SRNL's Main Laboratory is a Hazard Category II Nuclear Facility, equipped to safely manage appreciable quantities of radioactive materials in containment hood, glovebox, and shielded cell processing applications. Facilities include high and intermediate level shielded cells, an ultra low-level underground counting facility, a remote systems laboratory, radiochemistry and analytical laboratories, an engineering development laboratory, glovebox facilities, a high-pressure test facility, metal hydride laboratories, a primary standards laboratory, and the Atmospheric Technologies Center, the Gamma Irradiation Facility, The Law Enforcement Support Center (Southeast Region), waste treatment laboratories, a glassblowing and apparatus development laboratory, and a rapid fabrication facility.

The Savannah River Research Campus, owned by Aiken County, is a business and technology park adjacent to SRS, established to facilitate collaboration with SRNL. The Aiken County Technology Laboratory at the Research Campus opened in 2001. The 21,000 sq. ft. laboratory houses SRNL's waste treatment laboratories and environmental biotechnology laboratories.

The Center for Applied Environmental Research (CAER) was established at the Savannah River Research Campus for R&D in waste management, environmental sciences and biotechnology. It is situated on the county-owned Research Campus, located adjacent to the Savannah River National Laboratory's main campus. The CAER occupies over 20,000 square feet of laboratory space, including vitrification furnaces used to support operation of the Savannah River Site's Defense Waste Processing Facility, bioanalytical support facilities, anaerobic facilities, and 2,000 square feet of high bay space that allows for pilot-scale facilities. The Center also includes change room and conference room amenities.

The 60,000-square-foot Center for Hydrogen Research (CHR) at the Savannah River Research Campus opened in early 2006. SRNL leases half of this facility for its Hydrogen Technology Research Laboratory (HTRL), which is used for unclassified, nonradioactive R&D on hydrogen storage, processing, production, and detection, in support of both the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and hydrogen energy programs. HTRL consists of 16,000 square feet divided into 22 lab modules and a high bay area, plus 8,600 square feet of office space. Washington Savannah River Company, which operates SRNL for the U.S. Department of Energy, has signed a 10-year lease for the facility, which is being paid by NNSA.