New visitor centre at Drax is officially opened

Published on 1st November 2007 in News

Drax Power Station's new visitor centre has been officially opened this week by the Minister of State for Energy, Malcolm Wicks, MP.

Mr Wicks was joined by pupils from Dringhouses Primary School in York, who were part of the first group to tour the exciting new exhibition. The project has seen Drax's visitor centre facilities relocated to a larger building on the site and transformed to include a fascinating, interactive exhibition area where visitors can explore the process of electricity.

The exhibition uses large format graphics, multimedia presentations and working experiments to explain the power generation process. Visitors can also discover amazing facts about the power station's size and scale, its history and pioneering environmental projects.

Dorothy Thompson, chief executive of Drax Power Ltd, said: "We are delighted with the centre and believe it will be a popular and valuable resource for schools, the local community and business visitors. It provides a stimulating and enjoyable environment for children to learn about Drax Power Station, the energy industry and develop their understanding of how electricity is produced including the use of renewable fuels."

Malcolm Wicks added: "Our top priorities remain ensuring the continued security and affordability of energy supplies and tackling climate change. Finding cost effective ways of using fossil fuels more cleanly is vital in meeting these twin challenges of climate change and energy security. It is interesting to see what Drax is doing in both of these areas."

Last year, Drax Power Station welcomed 5,000 visitors onto the site. Guided tours are available and can be arranged by calling Ann Gray on 01757 612933.