Students energised as T Level goes nuclear

SWDT’s Engineering T Level went nuclear with a visit to a Hartlepool power station.

For students on the new Level 3 course enjoyed a guided tour of the town’s EDF Energy facility.

The visit started with an overview of the power station including information on nuclear fission, electrical generation and safety, before the students were issued with appropriate PPE.

The group found out about the generation and storage of cooling water which is used in the reactor to make steam and were then shown the security features and personal protection methods used to keep staff safe from radiation.

The guides then led a tour of the generating hall, which showcased the steam turbines, the steam and cooling water heat exchange process and the two generators that can supply up to 2m homes with electricity.

Since opening in 1983, Hartlepool has generated more than 258 TWh of zero carbon electricity – enough to power every home in the Tees Valley for more than 200 years.

Avoiding 90m tonnes of CO² emissions, this is equivalent to taking 43m cars off UK roads for a year.

Placement Officer Kevin Thrower and T Level course leader Martin Keegan accompanied the students, who were clearly energised by the experience.

Feedback included:

“very impressive safety record”

“unbelievable the size and scale of the facility”

“being humbled that this quantity of power was being generated on Teesside, and the size of the generators and turbines”.

Staff also showcased the apprenticeship opportunities within EDF, highlighting training is carried out in Somerset and apprentices are flown south on a weekly basis.

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