What are the benefits of PETRA IV?

Why PETRA IV should be built in the middle of Hamburg?

PETRA IV will become by far the best light source of its kind. To build and operate PETRA IV sustainably and effectively, the accelerator facility must be integrated into the existing tunnels of PETRA III. The existing infrastructure at DESY - from pre-accelerators to cooling facilities and data centers - is required for the operation of PETRA IV. A complete new construction of PETRA IVwould be much more expensive and would also not be reasonable from the point of view of sustainability.

PETRA IV is a central component of the new district Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld and significantly increases the attractiveness of Hamburg as a science location.

Why can PETRA IV not be built in parallel with the development of Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld?

PETRA IV is part of the Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld. The realization of the urban development project Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld is planned for the next 20 years and consists of many coordinated construction projects. PETRA IV is a core piece of the Science City and at the same time one of the first projects in this overall concept. PETRA IV is therefore also a piece of Science City.

At what point are we currently in the planning/approval process?

With the TDR and a commitment from the funding agencies, the construction planning procedure or construction approval procedure is then to be started. At present, we are still at an early stage of planning.

When will I know with certainty if construction will take place?

In mid-2022, DESY is expected to submit an application to its funding agencies (the federal government and the city of Hamburg) to fund PETRA IV and to include it in the National Roadmap for Research Infrastructures, Germany's strategic plan for cutting-edge research projects. By then, a sufficiently well-specified technical design and a reliable cost estimate for PETRA IV will be available. At that time, there will also be a scientific review by an independent panel of experts (National Science Council), which will assess the research and innovation potential of the facility. This is the decision-making basis for a funding commitment by the federal government. Only after a funding commitment has been made can the start of construction and the construction schedule be planned.

When do you expect that the construction will start?

The start of work will depend on the progress of the approval process. We are targeting a start of construction in around five years..

What will cost PETRA IV?

The exact costs of the project will be determined in the TDR phase that has now started. However, they will be in the upper three-digit million range.