PNNL

The engineering hangar at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)‑Sequim campus is a purpose-built, climate-controlled workspace designed to accelerate hands-on engineering, prototyping, and technology integration for marine energy and coastal research. Situated near the research pier, the hangar provides researchers with a seamless transition from covered, bench-scale development to testing and deployment in Sequim Bay. 

A workspace built for marine innovation

Within this dedicated engineering environment, teams can design, build, assemble, and prepare advanced marine technologies—from environmental sensors to autonomous platforms—with direct access to shoreside deployment infrastructure. The hangar supports the following activities:

• Technology assembly and integration before in-water testing
• Safe and climate-controlled staging of large and complex research equipment
• Efficient movement of buoys, sensors, platforms, and autonomous vehicles using new lifting and handling systems. 

Ready for field-forward research

As PNNL’s marine research portfolio expands, the hangar enhances capability for the following:

• Autonomous vehicle research
• Environmental monitoring and advanced sensor development
• Pilot-scale deployments of marine energy devices
• Systems integration for national security
• Engineering support for ocean sensing.

Together with upgraded shoreline infrastructure, new mesocosm test beds, and PNNL’s scientific dive team and fleet of research vessels, the engineering hangar strengthens PNNL-Sequim as a national hub for marine innovation. This space empowers researchers to quickly transform ideas into deployable technologies that advance ocean energy and coastal security applications.