Secretary Chu Announces Simulation-Based Engineering User Center

Washington, D.C. – U.S Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the creation of the Simulation-Based Engineering User Center (SBEUC) that will facilitate collaborative computational research for energy applications. Funded with $20 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the SBEUC will be primarily used for developing and deploying the simulation tools developed under the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Simulation Initiative. Through enhanced ability to predict industrial scale performance, the development of the SBEUC will accelerate the research and development of CCS technologies and support the Administration’s goal to overcome the barriers to widespread, cost-effective deployment of CCS within 10 years.

MORE INFO Learn more about the Carbon Capture and Storage Simulation Initiative

"Today’s announcement represents a major step forward in the fight to reduce carbon emissions from coal-based power plants," said Secretary Chu. "This center will not only help fight climate change, it will create new jobs and position the United States as a leader in carbon capture and storage technologies for years to come."

The SBEUC announced today will provide resources in national laboratories to advance the following areas:

• Development of a high performance computing user center as a platform for utilization of the advanced simulation tools
• Accelerating the deployment of industrial carbon capture technology through enhanced ability to predict industrial scale performance

Located at the Department’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), the SBEUC will be powered by a high performance computer that will allow researchers to simulate phenomena that are difficult or impossible to probe experimentally. The results from simulations will become accessible through user centers that provide advanced visualization capabilities and foster collaboration among researchers. The SBEUC will be used for developing and deploying simulation tools required for overcoming energy technology barriers quickly and reliably.

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For more information, contact: Fossil Energy Office of Communications, 202-586-5616