Exploring the Sustainability Efforts of Europe’s Facilities

In the last two weeks of January, I had the privilege of visiting multiple particle accelerator facilities across Europe as part of my work with ISIS-II at STFC. The aim of this was to develop connections, exchange ideas, and investigate the potential for collaboration. As a postdoctoral researcher specializing in particle accelerator environmental sustainability, I often find myself positively overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work occurring around the world to reduce the environmental impact of particle accelerators. The last two weeks have not been an exception.

My first stop was in Lund, Sweden, to visit the European Spallation Source (ESS), Europe’s eagerly awaited new neutron facility. One of the ESS’s sustainability strategies is to recover wasted heat energy for district heating and other purposes, effectively minimizing its overall operational environmental impact. This, built into infrastructure from the start of construction, stood out to me; designing sustainability into a facility from the outset is going to be key in the years to come for the research community.

I then travelled across the incredible Øresund Bridge to Hamburg, Germany. There I visited Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), where I encountered a multifaceted approach to sustainability and scientific excellence. DESY has a comprehensive plan and mission focused on advancing fundamental research while minimizing environmental impact. Their environmental report highlighted meticulous efforts to reduce energy consumption, manage waste responsibly, and promote sustainable practices across the facility. Guided by principles of environmental stewardship, DESY’s commitment to sustainability permeates every aspect of its operations.

Next on my tour was the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) near Villigen in Switzerland, where I was impressed by their dedication to optimizing operations for sustainability. PSI reduced power consumption by significant percentages through various efforts, showcasing their proactive approach to environmental responsibility. What also stood out to me was the mindset that the potential for small reductions in energy consumption should always be considered, and that a culture of community innovation is embraced. As an example, a community energy award led to an optimization of magnet power modes, reducing power consumption by a non-negligible percentage.

I then had the opportunity to visit the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland. CERN has many ongoing initiatives across the whole facility, notably, I visited the new data centre. The goal of the centre is to employ state-of-the-art technology and minimize environmental impact while ensuring the reliable operation of servers crucial for Run 3 and beyond. Considering the immense computational demands of particle physics research, we can see the beginnings of new standards for environmentally conscious computing infrastructure being implemented.

Finally, for the last stop of my trip, I’d like to zoom in on a historic relationship that exists between my university’s city of Oxford and the city of Grenoble, France. Nestled amidst the majestic French Alps, Grenoble’s landscape mirrors the awe-inspiring achievements of its scientific community. The city’s twinning status with Oxford, dating back to 1979, serves as a testament to the enduring bond of cultural exchange and academic collaboration between the two cities.

I had the opportunity to visit two of Grenoble’s research facilities, the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). From the redesign of some of their laboratories to waste management practices, ILL embodies a commitment to environmental responsibility while pushing the boundaries of scientific excellence. Similarly, my experience at the ESRF left a lasting impression due to the facility’s dedication to energy-efficient infrastructure in its recent upgrade and its plans for energy recovery. Throughout my visit, enriching dialogue with researchers and facility staff highlighted the indispensable role of sustainability in scientific research. Against the backdrop of Grenoble’s twinning with Oxford, these conversations illuminated the power of international collaboration in addressing global challenges while safeguarding our planet’s finite resources.

Over the course of my entire trip, I found that each of these facilities and their approaches to sustainability and groundbreaking research stand as beacons of excellence in the scientific community, working towards a harmonious balance between innovation and environmental responsibility. My journey from Oxford all the way through to Grenoble reinstated within me the transformative potential of collaboration and knowledge exchange across borders; by embracing communication of sustainability in scientific research, we honor the legacy of our predecessors while charting a course towards a more sustainable future.