Construction is nearly complete on the Energy & Environmental Research Center’s (EERC’s) new Materials Exploration (MatEx) facility, a 28,700-square-foot, high-hazard occupancy building designed to accelerate the development and testing of next-generation energy technologies.
Engineered to meet the unique demands of early-stage pilot testing, MatEx offers electrically classified project spaces, robust ventilation, and safety systems tailored for high-dust and combustible gas environments. The facility is purpose-built to support client technologies in a secure and flexible environment.
Key features of the MatEx facility include:
- Individual demonstration spaces for testing technologies involving high-temperature, high-pressure and combustible gas environments.
- 5000 ft2 of enhanced fuel processing facilities for preparing mixed solid fuels, including coal, plastics, biomass, and municipal solid waste.
- Enhanced infrastructure for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technology testing.
- Comprehensive utility infrastructure, including connections for electricity (480/240/120V), water, low-pressure steam, compressed air, natural gas, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen.
- Secondary containment systems for handling hazardous liquids safely.
- On-site gas analyzers and analytical lab to support demonstration activities.
- Centralized control room to manage testing operations.
- Interconnected design, with piping systems linking MatEx to adjacent demonstration buildings.
- Dust collection system to support safe and efficient material handling.
“It’s really exciting to see the progress being made on the new facility,” said Tyler Curran, EERC Director of Design and Operations. “The MatEx will enhance our ability to test promising technologies at scale in environments that closely mimic real-world conditions. That kind of capability is an essential step in moving innovations from the lab to commercial deployment.”
The MatEx facility represents a major investment in infrastructure to support cleaner, safer, and more innovative energy solutions. Once operational, it will provide enhanced capability for our partners to demonstrate and derisk technologies under real-world conditions, helping clients accelerate commercialization and reduce risk before scaling up.