Tiverton Petroc Students Visit Hinkley Point

PETROC students have had a nuclear time learning about power

at Hinkley Point.

Weeks of discussion took place to organise a visit to the

top security Hinkley Point Nuclear Power Station in Somerset for the electrical

engineering students and staff at Petroc's Tiverton campus recently.

The day started with a presentation on the importance of health & safety

and once each student had been given safety helmets, ear defenders and safety

glasses, they were shown the turbine hall and switch gear followed by the

reactor pile cap viewing gallery in 'B' station which included a talk by a station

engineer about nuclear fuel and fuelling procedures. They also got to see the

reactor being fuelled.

During the afternoon, a safety presentation was given before

the Petroc group were taken to 'A' station where they saw the control room, the

de-planted turbine hall and the electrical annexes.

Electrical engineering technician Michael Stewart from Petroc, former employee

of Hinkley Point with 31 years service had used his connections to carefully

plan and organise the visit commented "This trip provided our students

with a great opportunity to see the full workings of a nuclear power station

and Hinkley Point is a superb example".

"Despite the fact that A Station is currently being de-commissioned, the

students saw B Station in full operation and they could see that their skills

will be required for many years to come".

He added "It gave them experience of an industrial environment and also an

understanding of where their learnt skills would fit into a nuclear power

station".

Petroc electrical engineering student Nathan Burton, 19 from Uffculme commented

"We've been learning about the generation of electricity and transmission

so this trip came just at the right time. It was really interesting to see the

reactor pile cap and I found the trip really educational all round".