NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the U.S. Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility's new data center on Friday, an amenity which will serve as a central part of the lab's High Performance Data Facility (HPDF).
Gov. Abigail Spanberger, Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, Reps. Bobby Scott and Robb Wittman, along with Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones, were among those attending the groundbreaking.
The Jefferson Lab Data Center (JLDC) will provide high-performance computing and data services for scientific research. The building will have a data hall of about 10,000 square feet. Unlike large commercial data centers, this facility will focus on "high performance scientific workloads and data stewardship" rather than consumer cloud services.
"Every Virginian and ultimately every American will benefit from our investment here in the commonwealth," Spanberger said.
This groundbreaking marks a step toward transforming the Jefferson Lab into a multi-purpose laboratory. The HPDF at large is expected to have a staff of 100 to 200 people, but not all positions will be in Virginia since there will be multiple sites.
"To make our lives better, to make society more productive, to help our economy — all those things begin with the foundation of high-performance data and that research will take place here," Wittman said.
Organizers say this development aims to accelerate scientific progress across multiple fields, ranging from nuclear physics to materials discovery.
The new building’s service will support one megawatt, while the HPDF’s equipment is expected to need around five megawatts for both computing and cooling.
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