News

Two Gloucestershire students got an inside look into the world of waste and energy this month after spending a week with Severn Trent on work experience.

Thomas Ennis and Dan Jones, from Chosen Hill Secondary School, visited the company’s Sewage Treatment Works in Netheridge as part of an energy project organised by the Severn Wye Energy Agency.

Mark Barton, team manager at Severn Trent, says “Thomas and Dan already knew so much about renewable energy from their project, so they came to us with bags of enthusiasm and loads of questions. They carried out energy surveys on some of our buildings, and we were able to show them how we create our own power.”

Severn Trent currently generates around 34% of its own energy and is on track to self-generate the equivalent of 50% of its own energy from renewable sources by 2020.

Netheridge Treatment Works produces green power through the anaerobic digestion of sludge, which is where the sludge from sewage is mixed with bacteria and heated to create methane, which is then used for heat and electricity.

“The boys were really interested in our anaerobic digesters, and we were able to show them first-hand how we can turn poo into power,” said Mark.“We really hope they enjoyed their time with us and hopefully they can take what they’ve learned and put it to use in their project.”

Mark Stead, from the Severn Wye Energy Agency, said: “We’re really grateful to Severn Trent for providing this fantastic opportunity for our students. As part of the project, the boys have been studying renewable energy so it was great for them to be able to see anaerobic digestion in action and find out about Severn Trent’s mission to expand their use of renewable energy and reduce their carbon emissions. They had a wonderful week and learnt so much during their time at Netheridge.”