Simon Fraser University has expanded its Surrey campus with a new facility dedicated to sustainable energy engineering.

The new building will accommodate 440 new full-time student spaces and 40 faculty and staff in September for the university's new sustainable energy engineering degree program.

The program integrates science, environment and business courses in energy engineering to prepare students to work in clean technology sectors like power generation, and food and water.

The new building has space for 440 new full-time equivalent students and 40 faculty and staff. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

The five-storey building, which is around 215,000 square feet and cost $126 million, was officially opened at a ceremony on Thursday. It sits adjacent to the current SFU campus at Surrey's Central City Mall.

It features a 400-seat lecture hall, wet and dry teaching labs and classrooms, study spaces, offices and a bright central atrium space.

The atrium in the new SFU Sustainable Energy Engineering building. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

The new space means 75 graduate mechatronics students will also relocate into the building.

"This isn't just a building," Melanie Mark, minister of advanced education, skills and training, said in a statement.

"It's an innovation hub where energy engineering students will design solutions for smarter communities, cleaner energy and position B.C. as a global leader in clean tech."