In its inaugural year, the programme engaged over 1,400 primary and secondary school pupils in this green energy initiative. Aimed at nurturing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills, the programme seeks to inspire the next generation to pursue careers in hydropower.
Fully funded by Drax, the initiative benefits from a £60,000 grant to the Glasgow Science Centre, allowing expert staff to deliver this educational endeavour. This announcement coincides with the 60th anniversary celebration of Drax’s Cruachan Power Station, Scotland’s largest pumped storage hydro plant, originally opened by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1965.
Sarah Cameron, Community Manager for Scotland at Drax Group, said:
“Last year’s programme was tremendously successful, engaging over 1,400 school pupils in activities both at the Glasgow Science Centre and within their school classrooms. As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of our iconic ‘Hollow Mountain’ Cruachan Power Station, I am thrilled that we can extend another £60,000 grant to the Glasgow Science Centre to continue this initiative.
“I am confident that this year’s programme will be equally popular. It represents an incredibly exciting opportunity for young people to enhance their STEM skills and gain insights into potential career paths in renewable energy.”
The primary schools programme, facilitated through Glasgow Science Centre’s ‘Learning Lab’ over four to six weeks, uses case studies of Drax’s Scottish assets to educate children on various hydropower types like pumped hydro and run-of-river plants, with participating classes either visiting the Science Centre or receiving a visit from its ‘On Tour’ team.
For secondary students, particularly those in fifth and sixth year, STEM Futures Work Readiness Workshops are offered at the Glasgow Science Centre, where they collaborate to explore career opportunities in Scottish hydropower and the necessary skills for those roles.
Dr Stuart Meiklejohn, Glasgow Science Centre’s STEM Futures Project Coordinator, said:
“At Glasgow Science Centre we are delighted to continue and expand our partnership with Drax, delivering hydro-themed resources and workshops across Scotland.
“With this support we can help over 1,500 students learn about hydro power and its importance in their everyday lives, including inspiring the workforce of the future”
ENDS
Media contacts:
Aidan Kerr
E: [email protected]
T: 07849090368
Editor notes
About Drax
Drax’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Our strategic aims are to be a global leader in both carbon removals and sustainable biomass pellet production, and to be a UK leader in dispatchable, renewable generation.
Our operations
Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low-carbon and renewable UK power assets – biomass, hydro, and pumped storage generation – which provide dispatchable power and system support services to the electricity grid.
We are the UK’s largest source of renewable power by output, and Drax Power Station is the UK’s largest single source of renewable electricity by output.
Through our pellet production facilities in North America, Drax is the world’s second largest producer of sustainable biomass. Drax has 18 operational and development pellet production sites which will have a nameplate capacity of around 5.4 million tonnes once expansions are complete.
Drax supplies renewable electricity to UK industrial and commercial customers, offering a range of energy-related services including energy optimisation, as well as electric vehicle strategy and management.
Our future
Drax is progressing options for carbon removals using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology globally and at our UK biomass power station. We are progressing plans to develop 7 million tonnes of carbon removals through BECCS by 2030.
In 2024, we launched Elimini, a US-based company to lead our global efforts to deliver carbon removals at megaton scale. Elimini’s purpose is to remove carbon for good. To achieve this, it is convening engineers, environmentalists, communities, investors, and innovators to scale the market for carbon removals, with the aspiration of transforming our economies from carbon emitters to carbon removers. For more information, visit elimini.com.
