| Applied Process Engineering Laboratory |
We conduct some of our MICRO-CATS research and development in the new Applied Process Engineering Laboratory, or APEL, a fully permitted research, development and demonstration facility. This one-of-a-kind facility is housed in a 90,000-square-foot building. It is a state-of-the-art laboratory incubator facility. APEL includes 37,000 square feet of laboratory and entrepreneurial space, 20,000 square feet of 28-foot high-bay space and 16,000 square feet of office space.
APEL supports a wide range of users, such as entrepreneurs, small companies building prototypes for demonstration to potential investors and companies with environmental technologies that can be tested and demonstrated before deployment. Laboratory researchers, commercial users and other agencies will use APEL to demonstrate new technologies and develop the technical and regulatory data bases for permitting, licensing and applying the technology to real-world environmental and technical problems.
Among APEL's unique features is an umbrella Research, Development and Demonstration test permit under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act from the Washington State Department of Ecology. This will allow APEL users to perform a wide range of RD&D activities within APEL without requiring a specific permit for each test or activity. This is a very unique facility and opportunity for testing and development of new technology.
Finally APEL promotes collaboration as it provides spaces and services to PNNL, universities, industries and others. This fosters an entrepreneurial spirit and atmosphere necessary to create, develop and commercialize products. APEL is a place where innovation happens.
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