Spain will contribute with EUR 90 million in the building of the European Spallation Source in Lund, south of Sweden.

Sweden and Spain reached an agreement recently that Spain will contribute to the building of ESS with 5 percent, according to a statement from the Government Offices of Sweden. The total cost for ESS is estimated to EUR 1.8 billion. The agreement is the first formally binding contract with financing. The Spanish contribution will be both in cash and in-kind.

“This Letter of Intent will lay the ground for solidifying the already excellent technical exchange between ESS in Lund and ESS-Bilbao”, said James H. Yeck, ESS CEO and Director-General, in a press release. “ESS-Bilbao has crucial scientific expertise needed for the construction of ESS, and the anticipated contributions are essential to our joint success. We also enjoy strong engagement from the Spanish neutron community and future ESS users.”

In an area of two square kilometres in north-west Lund, the ESS will be a multidisciplinary scientific research centre harnessing the world’s most powerful neutron source. Researchers will be able to study the materials of everyday life, from plastics and proteins to medicines and molecules, in order to understand how they are built up and how they work.

Photo: Overview of ESS research building area in Lund. Photo Credit Henning Larsen Architects/COBE/ESS