Tomorrow's nuclear generation visit Hinkley Point B

Nuclear students and trainee operators got a taste of the industry’s past and present on a rare visit to the Hinkley Point B site.

Nine students from the National College for Nuclear joined with seven Hinkley Point C trainee operations technicians on a special visit to the B site, which remains the nation’s most productive nuclear asset.

Once there, they were treated to a tour of the site which included a visit to the control room simulator, the reactor viewing gallery, the turbine hall and the opportunity to hear from Plant Manager, Nicola Fauvel, and Transfer and Deconstruction Manager, Marc Paling.

All of those on the visit are hoping for careers in the nuclear industry so this was a rare opportunity for them to see up close some of the technology they could be working on in the future.

“Since we ended generation last year, we rarely open up our doors to external visitors,” said Operations Instructor Alex Kinsman.

“The Hinkley Point C site next door is a modern cathedral of engineering which impresses me every time I see it. But this was a great chance for a handful of staff right at the start of long careers in nuclear to see how people in the industry have been operating existing plant for decades. There’s a lot that can be learned from visiting a defueling site like ours, and the type of questions they were asking demonstrated just how much-embedded knowledge the students and trainee operations technicians already have in nuclear power generation.”

The trip was requested by Mia Fursland who completed some work experience at Hinkley Point B last year to help her gain experience for her present role.

She said: “My brief time at Hinkley Point B has been among the most valuable part of my career so far. I knew that if I could bring students and fellow trainees here, they would get a real sense of the sorts of things their future roles will involve. C site is coming along brilliantly but seeing the finished product gives a whole new dimension to your thinking, even if our finished product will look a little different!”