To mark the ICE’s 200th anniversary, and to support Government's Year of Engineering, the Institution is highlighting 200 inspirational and world-changing projects from around the world throughout 2018. Nominated by the ICE’s members and selected by an expert panel, the chosen projects illustrate the breadth and depth of civil engineering’s impact.
Sizewell B set new standards in Pressurised Water Reactor design bringing together scientific knowledge and worldwide experience to secure standards of quality and safety that matched the highest in the world. The Sizewell B project was a celebrated feat in civil engineering which was recognised by the British Construction Industry Awards as a staggering achievement which not only set new standards but was vital in bridging the world energy gap and reducing the levels of carbon dioxide emission. One of the biggest construction projects in Europe it was completed to budget and schedule giving employment to thousands of local people during construction and long term high value jobs for 550 people when it began operation in 1995.
Nathan Baker, Engineering Knowledge Director at ICE, said: “Our research has shown that the majority of both adults and young people don’t know what a civil engineer does and most can’t identify a single UK civil engineering project. We aim to change these perceptions with 200 People and Projects, explaining not just the importance of civil engineering but how it has directly transformed people’s lives.
"The chosen projects showcase how civil engineering paved the way to modern life and how it continues to tackle the problems of today, safeguarding the future for generations to come. With the world facing unprecedented challenges, such as climate change and the pressures from a rapidly growing population, there has never been a greater need for civil engineers and the vital work they do. ”
Sizewell B joins the 200 projects which will be published throughout the year on the What Is Civil Engineering? pages of the ICE website. What is Civil Engineering? will not only host these projects but can also be used as a career guidance tool for those hoping to pursue a career in civil engineering. Once inspired by the projects being produced each month, there is comprehensive advice and guidance on how to become a civil engineer no matter what level of education someone has, or what stage in their career they have reached.
This platform has been designed to help promote the career of civil engineering after it was revealed that only 45% of adults know what the career entails and only 35% of young people could tell you what a civil engineer does.
Mark Gorry, EDF Energy’s Chief Nuclear Officer, said: “EDF Energy is proud to receive this recognition of Sizewell B’s global influence during this important Year of Engineering. Sizewell B’s iconic presence on the Suffolk Coast highlights a feat of engineering which has safely and consistently produced low carbon electricity for almost 3 million UK homes, every year since 1995. It is helping shape the future too. The technology behind Sizewell B – the first of its kind in the UK – is the same as that which has been developed for the new nuclear station at Hinkley in Somerset and which is planned for Sizewell C.”