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At a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday, officials put golden shovels in the ground to mark the forthcoming Princeton Plasma Innovation Center (PPIC) project.

The more than $100 million effort will rise at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) headquarters, located on Princeton University‘s Forrestal Campus in Plainsboro. The international hub of fusion research will feature:

• State-of-the-art laboratories and office space to support new research in microelectronics, quantum sensors and devices, and sustainability sciences.
• Substantial sustainability aspects, such as full electrification, geothermal wells, use of natural light, passive shading, a green roof garden and space for future solar cells on the roof. The design aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions and LEED gold certification.
• A concept meant to “express and embody plasma/fusion science with references to energy, solar light, and magnetism.”
• A focus on collaboration, with open meeting spaces and whiteboards where staff can meet spontaneously.
• A café connecting with the existing Lyman Spitzer Building, which looks out on the courtyard garden through a retractable glass door and can open on nice days.

SmithGroup oversaw the design of the project. Construction is slated to start this year and be complete, tentatively, in 2027. The work includes the teardown of the Theory Wing and part of the Lyman Spitzer Building Administration wing.

PPPL uses plasma to solve some of the world’s toughest science and technology challenges. It is a Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratory that Princeton University manages.

The groundbreaking marks a major next chapter for PPPL. In fact, it was the first groundbreaking on the campus since the 1970s, noted PPPL Director Steve Cowley at the top of his remarks – with the shovel from that last groundbreaking on display.

Potential of fusion energy

This project is also one that has been several years in the making.

“The lab is moving forward to address some of the key issues facing the country,” said Cowley. “We are moving into areas that we weren’t in before – and we’re strengthening our commitment to deliver fusion energy. In the PPIC that we’re building, we’ll have a center that will push forward artificial intelligence and high-performance computing for fusion. We’ll have here a whole new set of state-of-the-art, experimental building labs that will power AI diagnostic activities for the next set of fusion machines in the world; working with the fusion companies and driving forward fusion energy.”

Cowley noted the Biden administration’s goal of delivering some electricity from fusion between 2035 and 2040 – as the clean energy transition takes shape and leaders look for different sources to add to the energy mix. Fusion energy offers great potential promise as a safe, clean, and virtually limitless energy source.

“This is a stretch goal,” said Cowley. “And it’s a goal that we are stepping forward to meet. And the PPIC building will be a big part of our commitment and our work for that.”

‘The cornerstone for a new vision’

Juston Fontaine, deputy director for field operations, Office of Science for the U.S. DOE, noted the critical challenge of providing new infrastructure for its labs.

“I think it is safe to say that PPPL has a unique infrastructure challenge with aging facilities,” said Fontaine. “So, as a standalone facility, PPIC certainly is a necessary and important addition to the laboratory. But I hope it represents more than just a building. It is the cornerstone for a new vision for this laboratory.”

A common theme throughout the event was the spirit of collaboration between stakeholders in making this groundbreaking reality.

“I’ve been around the DOE labs for about a decade, and this is one of those moments that we all work for – the beginning of something transformational,” said Timothy Meyer, PPPL chief operating officer. “It is only possible with the Department of Energy and its partners. We are building a new future for this legendary laboratory.”

“The lab is beginning to do work outside its former mission. We’ve broadened our mission,” Cowley told NJBIZ after the groundbreaking ceremony. “And this building is going to be the centerpiece of that new mission for the lab.”

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