Official opening for the new LB building

On Monday, March 17, the President of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Massimiliano Fedriga, visited Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, where he attended a presentation by Alfonso Franciosi, President and CEO of the center, and officially cut the ribbon of the new LB building. During the visit, Fedriga explored the magnet characterization laboratory, a key facility within the Elettra 2.0 project, the next-generation synchrotron designed to deliver superior performance with reduced energy consumption.

The meeting highlighted the growing challenges posed by rising energy costs, which have led to a 40% reduction in the operational capacity of Elettra and FERMI since 2022, impacting scientific output and researcher access. To address this issue, Elettra has presented a proposal to the Regional Government and the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) for a high-efficiency photovoltaic plant to be built in a nearby quarry area. The 9-megawatt solar park will feature bifacial panels to maximize energy capture and will be directly connected to the research center via an underground medium-voltage cable. This initiative is expected to reduce operational costs and cut CO₂ emissions by over 120 million kg over 30 years, equivalent to the absorption capacity of 132,000 trees.