As the new school term begins, engineers from the St. Fergus Gas Terminal (SFGT), supported by North Sea Midstream Partners (NSMP) and px Group, will once again host three primary schools from across the North East for the Children Challenging Industry (CCI) programme.
Bringing together a mix of returning and new schools, the visits give children a hands-on look at how St. Fergus operates around the clock, managing up to 26% of the UK’s gas supplies.
Building on the success of previous visits earlier this year, when 62 children from New Pitsligo, St John’s, St Fergus, and Mintlaw Primary Schools toured the facility, NSMP will continue to provide children with behind-the-scenes experiences, including visits to the control room, fire truck, and fire pond.
St. Fergus is the first industrial facility in Scotland to host CCI visits, with NSMP and operating partner px Group teaming up to organise events that inspire the next generation about the opportunities in the energy industry.
As part of the wider CCI programme, the team also led hands-on classroom activities on a range of science and engineering themes, such as absorbent materials, filtration systems, and pressure control.
Stuart Horne, Asset Director for NSMP, who supported the visit, said: “By welcoming school pupils to the St. Fergus Gas Terminal as part of the Children Challenging Industry programme, we hope to spark curiosity and show children how they can play a part in the future of energy.
“NSMP and our operating partner px Group, have a long track record of engaging with the communities in which we operate, and understand the importance of playing a positive role in our local communities. The CCI programme allows us to support education and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.
“We have been so impressed by the children’s enthusiasm and hope they’ve gained a valuable insight into the energy sector. We look forward to hosting a new series of CCI events for schools and the wider community this school year.”
Robbie Green, Maintenance Delivery Manager at px Group, who delivered the visit, said:
“It was a real pleasure to welcome the pupils to St. Fergus and give them a hands-on experience of what we do here. At px Group, we’re passionate about inspiring the next generation of engineers and technicians, and the Children Challenging Industry programme is a fantastic way to bring science and engineering to life. The enthusiasm and curiosity the children showed was brilliant to see, and we hope the visit has sparked some long-term interest in STEM careers.”
The visit left a strong impression on the children, who shared their favourite activities:
“I liked the control room because it had loads of computers and monitors, monitoring everywhere. I liked how you could see the fire on top of the flare.”
“Making the pipework was really cool. I didn’t know you could use those tools to join bits of metal together. It felt like being a real engineer!”
“I liked using the walkie-talkies and seeing how the instruments worked.”
The St. Fergus visit builds on earlier outreach efforts at other NSMP sites, including the Teesside Gas Processing Plant (TGPP), which has worked with 14 schools and hosted 14 visits over the past seven years, including virtual visits during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Alongside primary school visits, TGPP recently welcomed 15 engineering students from NETA Training to see first-hand how engineering principles are applied in an operational environment.
Cameron Slane TGPP Asset Director for NSMP, said: “NSMP is committed to playing a positive role in our local communities. Working closely with our operating partner, px Group, initiatives like the Children Challenging Industry programme allow us to support education and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. Even though the children are still at primary school, we hope our activity days have given them an insight into the energy industry and what a career in the sector could be.”
Schools interested in taking part in the Children Challenging Industry (CCI) programme can visit: Children Challenging Industry – Centre for Industry Education Collaboration, University of York
Learn more about NSMP – www.nsmp-limited.com
To learn more about px Group visit – www.pxlimited.com
