Mace to upgrade Oxford facilty housing world’s most powerful laser

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Originally signed up under a pre-construction services agreement (PCSA), Mace will carry out design, buildability, construction and planning services for the extension and part refurbishment of the Vulcan Laser Facility at the Harwell campus in Oxford.

Mace was picked by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) for the redevelopment, which will significantly enhance the research capabilities of the existing Central Laser Facility (CLF).

When complete it will house the new upgraded Vulcan 20-20 laser, the most powerful laser in the world, which will help scientists working on nuclear fusion, understanding plasma, new renewable energy sources and studying electromagnetic fields.

The project, including the upgrade of the laser, has just been awarded £85M from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Mace will lead on the installation of two 7m tall targeting bunkers, with walls and soffits up to 2m thick. These structures are made with a specialised radiation-resistant concrete mixture that can shield beams a billion times hotter than the brightest sunlight.

As main contractors, Mace will leverage the wealth of experience the company gained from the construction of the existing Extreme Photonics Applications Centre (EPAC) for the CLF and STFC.

To maintain the continuity of knowledge and expertise, Mace will partner with the same project team: Fairhurst Design Group (Architect), Glanville (civil and structural engineers), Hoare Lea (Mechanical and Electrical engineering), BB7 (fire engineering) and RSK (acoustic engineering).

Mace has been working with the STFC since 2017 and delivered three pioneering research facilities on the Harwell Campus in Oxford: the Rosalind Franklin Institute, the National Satellite Test Facility and the Extreme Photonics Applications Centre.

Mace managing director, public sector construction Terry Spraggett said: “We are thrilled to once again be working on such an exciting and important project for the STFC.

“I am proud that together with our partners we will play a part in delivering a project that will push the boundaries of science and research – enabling some of the key scientific breakthroughs of our time.”

STFC executive chair and UKRI champion for infrastructure Mark Thomson said: “The Central Laser Facility has been a driving force behind discoveries that have advanced our understanding of diverse areas from the fundamental properties of matter under extreme conditions to the formation of stars and planets. To keep this world leading facility at the forefront of science and to make new breakthroughs for the benefit of society, it is essential that we invest in the development and deployment of advanced high-power laser technology.

“The Vulcan 20-20 programme will keep the Central Laser Facility at the cutting edge of the highest-power laser science and enable entirely new experiments in crucial areas such as renewable energy research.”

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