DOE finds FRIB Project on track toward establishing baseline and starting construction in spring 2012

04 October 2011

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC) Office of Project Assessment conducted a review of the FRIB Project last week, Sept. 27-29. Charged by the Office of Nuclear Physics, the review committee found that technical design of FRIB is on track to meet its performance expectations, and to establish a performance baseline and commence conventional facilities construction in the spring of 2012. The project was found to be properly managed, including environment, safety, and health aspects, and the review committee recommended to schedule a CD-2/3A review in April 2012.

The successful review indicates FRIB remains on track for scheduled completion, with construction of conventional facilities anticipated to begin in spring 2012.

The review committee was led by Daniel Lehman, Director of the Office of Project Assessment, and included subject matter experts from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, Argonne National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility.

In the next few months, FRIB will complete the final design of the conventional facilities construction plans and continue to advance its technical design. Following peer review of the preliminary technical design, the Accelerator Systems (November) and Experimental Systems (December) Advisory Committees will assess readiness of the two major FRIB technical systems. FRIB’s integrated design and proposed performance baseline will be presented to the MSU President’s Review Committee in March 2012 in preparation for defending the FRIB integrated design and performance baseline at the CD-2/3A DOE-SC review in April 2012. The results of this review will provide input to the DOE-SC Energy Systems Acquisition Advisory Board (ESAAB) which advises the DOE-SC Acquisition Executive on Critical Decision determinations. Following DOE's Critical Decision process, Critical Decision 2 (CD-2) marks the approval of the performance baseline and CD-3A is the approval of the start of conventional facilities construction.

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