Students from Kendal College have been on site at a South Cumbrian wind farm to find out more about career opportunities in the renewable energy industry.
The group of electrical engineering students visited Banks Renewables’ Armistead Wind Farm to get a close-up look at how the six-turbine scheme generates local, secure, clean energy and the work that the team behind it undertakes to keep it running efficiently.
The students were given a tour of the site which included visiting the control room to see how the wind turbines are monitored and managed and getting up close to one of the turbines to look at how electricity is generated and delivered to the National Grid.
The Armistead Wind Farm, which sits to the east of the M6 between junctions 36 and 37, has been operational since 2013 and generated enough electricity in Banks Renewables’ last financial year to meet the annual electricity needs of around 8,700 homes.
It also contributes around £13,800 every year to Armistead Wind Farm Community Benefits Fund, which provides financial support for capital projects being undertaken by groups and good causes in surrounding communities.
John Kelly, electrical engineering tutor at Kendal College, who organised the trip, says: “One of the topics we’re covering within the course explores electricity generation, transmission and distribution, and the visit to Armistead was an excellent way to bring to life what the students had learned in the classroom.
“Visits such as this are a fantastic way to put theory into context, reinforce key learning points and illustrate the various career opportunities in the renewables sector”
“It has shown our students that engineering is happening all around them and that there are jobs right on our doorstep, and we’d like to extend a big thank you to Banks Renewables for facilitating the visit.”
Student Alex Silver adds: “The visit provided us with a great insight into the different careers available on a wind farm, including technical, non-technical, electrical and mechanical roles.
“Renewables are the future, and it’s so important that we use modern technologies to help the drive towards net zero, with sites like this having a pivotal role to play in that transition.”
Banks Renewables is one of the leading owner/operators in the UK’s onshore wind industry, and is currently looking to deploy further renewable and flexible energy technologies at a number of new sites across Scotland and the north of England
Richard Warrior, wind farm manager at Banks Renewables, who is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Armistead site, says: “It is important for us to play an active role in supporting the communities that host our developments, which includes facilitating educational visits such as this one.
“They help the engineers of the future to gain a better understanding of the career opportunities available in the renewable and flexible energy sector and we hope we’ve given the Kendal College students some inspiration for how their future careers might eventually take shape.
“Generating more of the electricity that we all use via renewables will ensure that we have more secure and cheaper energy in the future, rather than relying on imports of fuel from overseas.
“It is also a crucial part of the UK’s journey towards our nation’s net zero targets, and our Armistead Wind Farm has been making an important contribution to this journey for almost a decade.”