Watts Bar provided students from Chattanooga State with a first hand glimpse into nuclear power on Friday, April 24.
The students, majoring in various studies of engineering, are part of Chattanooga State’s Engineering program. They toured Watts Bar’s operating and under-construction units to gain an understanding of what a nuclear power plant looks and feels like. The tours were led by current Watts Bar employees and NAYGN members. The tours allowed students to see the plant’s generators and turbines, the control room simulator, and the Watts Bar 2 open reactor vessel. Being able to tour the site prior to Unit 2 fuel load allowed the students the rare opportunity to view parts of a plant that are contained and secured during normal operation.
Ryan Schaumburg, operations specialist at WBN, said, “Giving these college students a first hand look at intricate systems of a commercial nuclear power plant puts them a step ahead of the competition in today’s challenging job market.”