BRIGHT Sparks from Millom School and other schools close to NuGen’s Moorside Project were given the opportunity to see low-carbon electricity generation in action.  

As part of NuGen’s Bright Sparks education programme, 200 students from 

Millom School, Whitehaven Academy, St Benedict’s Catholic School, visited

Heysham Nuclear Power Station in Lancashire.

They were learning about the science of electricity generation and to look at some of the issues surrounding low-carbon energy.

The students took a tour around EDF Energy’s Heysham 2 nuclear power station to see the theory put into practice on a huge industrial scale.

NuGen’s head of corporate communications, John McNamara, said: “Moorside will provide up to seven per-cent of the UK’s electricity needs, so I think it’s an excellent opportunity to take groups of students from schools close to our site to see a working nuclear power station and talk to the folk that work there.”

“The staff at Heysham’s Visitor Centre have been top-class and we must thank our colleagues there for their inspirational input. Our West Cumbrian Bright Sparks had a day to remember, and discussed careers in electricity production and how massive power stations like Heysham help the UK keep the lights on, and meet our low-carbon obligations.”

“Many of the students will have family working in the nuclear industry, but NuGen wanted to help them to understand what electricity generation means, to understand the science behind it and to think about the environmental impacts of how we use electricity and perhaps even to consider working in the industry one day.”

NuGen launched its Bright Sparks Programme in January. It will run for three years during the company’s development phase, and will include partnership with local teachers and STEM experts to highlight the benefits and opportunities the planned Moorside project could deliver in the local area.

This year’s Bright Sparks will round off the year with a School’s Energy Conference in July, where they will compete with each other in delivering presentations, project work, and a schools energy quiz.