A group composed of Battelle and a quintet of universities from two states is now operating the Department of Energy’s Savannah River National Laboratory in South Carolina.
The Battelle Savannah River Alliance (BSRA) took over management of the lab Monday, officially announcing the news via Twitter: “Proud to be @Battelle’s newest national laboratory! Our team has worked hard throughout the transition and is committed to continued excellence operated by Battelle Savannah River Alliance.”
Ohio-based Battelle oversees more than 27,000 employees at eight national laboratories owned by DOE and the Department of Homeland Security, according to Battelle’s website.
The Battelle-led group won the potential 10-year, $3.8-billion stand-alone contract from DOE’s Office of Environmental Management in December.
Vahid Majidi, laboratory director at Savannah River for the past two years, is staying on as laboratory director and also holds the title of president of Battelle Savannah River Alliance. Sharon Marra, deputy director of the laboratory since July 2015, continues to manage daily operations for the research laboratory and its 1,000 employees.
“I want to thank Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, the Fluor led team, for our growth and evolution to this point which has allowed us to spin off as an independent M&O [management and operations] contractor” under BSRA, Majidi said in a three-minute video posted on the lab contractor’s website.
Before joining the laboratory, Majidi held major posts with the federal government, including deputy assistant secretary of defense for nuclear matters for the Department of Defense, according to the website. Majidi is the laboratory’s key contact with DOE’s Office of Environmental Management, the National Nuclear Security Administration and DOE’s undersecretary for science.
After starting its 120-day transition period in February, the joint venture assumed the reins from Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, the joint venture that runs the entire DOE Savannah River Site near Aiken, S.C.
Along with Battelle, the new laboratory contractor team consists of Clemson University, Georgia Tech, South Carolina State University, University of Georgia, and University of South Carolina. The team also includes two DOE subcontractors, Longenecker & Associates and TechSource.
