Miranda
Role: Graduate Process Engineer
Sector: Nuclear
My apprenticeship/grad placement, why I chose it and why I chose Babcock:
I believe in the civil nuclear sector and want to work to reduce the negative impact of our energy industries on the environment. Working towards net-zero and supporting the UK Nuclear Fleet can reduce our carbon consumption and reliance on fossil fuels. There are plenty of opportunities for chemical and process engineers to make meaningful contributions to the nuclear sector from the initial stages of design to the final stages of decommissioning and waste disposal.
I have always enjoyed working on complex problems and coming up with long term viable solutions that tackle the root of the problem. Working in my part of the business has given me the opportunity to gain new skills and become a well-rounded engineer with an excellent understanding of the business and industry.
My typical day:
As a second year graduate, my day is spent attending meetings both internally and with clients, conducting calculations, drawing and designing using AutoCAD software as well as writing reports. I also attend client sites to get a better understanding of what I am working on and conduct safety walk-downs. I have also had interactions with the Nuclear Regulator (ONR) who we work closely with to ensure that all of our work is safe and compliant.
I have been given meaningful and challenging work from the first day I joined the business. There have been many opportunities for me to learn and develop my skills. I set aside half an hour a week to work on my IChemE Chartership competencies and describe the work I have done to aid in writing up my C&C report when I apply to become a Chartered Engineer.
I have worked on various projects to include new build and decommissioning with the opportunity to learn and gain new skills at every step of the nuclear lifecycle. My job is varied, challenging and meaningful.
My favourite part of the job:
Achieving net-zero is one of the biggest challenges of our generation and being part of the workforce helping to attain this will make a lasting positive difference whilst supporting sustainability.
Most challenging thing I’ve ever done to date:
Producing carbon consumption calculations for three separate processes for a client to aid in down selection. This was challenging because the calculations had to be done from scratch and there were no previous examples available to base them on. I had to consider each step in the process separately, make assumptions, find existing data and come up with an argument to support my methods as well as my findings. I then used the calculated data to write a report and made recommendations on how to reduce the amount of carbon consumed during the processes and improve sustainability.
