School children from Croydon were recently given the opportunity to find out more about the exciting world of tunnelling when a team from the Croydon Cable Tunnel Project went along to Trinity School in Croydon to give a presentation to fifth and sixth formers.

The team gave an interactive and educational presentation to the teenagers to help them understand more about how tunnelling is used to provide a safe and reliable electricity supply for the National Grid. During the presentation, the Croydon Cable Tunnel Project team talked about the 10km tunnel that has been constructed as part of the £80 million project. As well has having the opportunity to ask plenty of questions, the group of thirty students were also allowed to see some Tunnel Boring Machine cutting teeth up close to help them get a good idea of what a TBM can do underground.

The interactive presentation was designed as an opportunity for school children to gain some further insight into engineering and tunnelling as a potential career choice. Scott Sadler, National Grid Project Manager, commented that it was great to let the students get a real taste of what life as an engineer is really like as well as how varied it can be given that National Grid engineers can work up pylons, in a control room, or in the case of the Croydon Cable Tunnel, even underground.

Tunnelling work on the Croydon Cable Tunnel began last year and has now been completed. Engineers are currently installing the cable underground and this part of the project is expected to reach completion later on next year. Once testing operations have been successfully finished, the tunnel will become part of the National Grid electricity supply network towards the end of 2011.