PHOTON SCIENCE

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has officially confirmed PETRA IV is participating in the “National Prioritization Procedure for Large-scale Research Infrastructures”. A team from DESY has prepared a short concept according to the BMBF's specifications and submitted it according to schedule by 25 October 2024. The concept of the conversion of PETRA III into a state-of-the-art 4th generation X-ray light source is entitled: "PETRA IV - the ultimate 4D X-ray microscope".

The evaluation of the submitted concepts by international teams of experts is now underway. The BMBF plans to publish a shortlist of the best projects in summer 2025. In addition to the expected gain in scientific knowledge, the evaluation will include the innovation and transfer potential, the sustainability of the construction and operation, as well as the costs and risks.

Wim Leemans, DESY director in charge of the Accelerator Division and authorized representative of the Directorate for PETRA IV: “We are very confident that PETRA IV will be selected as a project for the shortlist. Our hope is that, despite the unclear political situation, there will be no standstill for the science system in Germany and that funding will follow the process.” The next major milestone for PETRA IV will be the approval of the overall project. A funding commitment by mid-2026 at the latest is important for further planning to avoid major delays in implementation. As the shortlist is not linked to a funding commitment, it will be up to the future government to provide the funding.

DESY is ready to realise PETRA IV on time and within budget. The project team of about 50 people has worked out the technical design and has already completed other important planning steps. Thanks to start-up funding, a preparatory programme was launched in September: the German Bundestag approved 40 million euros for preparatory measures in its budget. The City of Hamburg provided an additional 4.4 million. As a result, the planning and construction of prototypes for PETRA IV are progressing. However, construction work, such as the building of the new experimental hall, cannot begin until the overall PETRA IV project has been approved.

The timeline up to the start of operations

Thanks to the advanced stage of planning, PETRA IV's construction can start immediately after approval. Further preparatory work will take place between 2027 and 2029. The necessary infrastructure such as power cables and gas pipelines will then be put in place, and the components for the accelerator will be procured and pre-assembled. The existing PETRA III complex is scheduled to be shut down in December 2029. The first light from PETRA IV is expected in 2032.

(partly from DESY News)