ENHANCE Testbed – WUT students take part in the energy transition

A group of more than 15 students from the Faculties of Administration and Social Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Power and Aeronautical Engineering, and Management at the Warsaw University of Technology, together with students from partner universities—the Delft University of Technology, the Technical University of Berlin, the Technical University of Valencia, and RWTH Aachen University—is preparing a multidisciplinary technological and environmental assessment, a public awareness campaign, and an energy transition strategy based on the use of small modular reactors (SMRs) for the city of Stalowa Wola This work is being carried out as part of the ENHANCE Testbed project, "Empowering students to drive the local energy transition through multidisciplinary competence & communication." ENHANCE is an alliance of ten European technical universities, including the Warsaw University of Technology, established in 2019 to create a platform for knowledge exchange, innovation, and joint initiatives.

Students involved in the ENHANCE Testbed project have already had the opportunity to participate in a series of meetings with representatives of Orlen Synthos Green Energy and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy, during which they discussed the technical aspects of the energy transition.

“The project gives me a unique opportunity to work with an international team of researchers representing a wide range of disciplines and cultural backgrounds in a highly interesting and innovative field,” says Mateusz Jachimczyk, a student at the Faculty of Administration and Social Sciences and a participant in the project. “It is an opportunity that cannot be bought—the chance to gain such an in-depth understanding of the subject and to work alongside specialists from around the world.”

On 18 June, students from the Warsaw University of Technology and partner universities visited Stalowa Wola. During the visit, they had the opportunity to tour the Museum of the Central Industrial District and the Euro-Park Stalowa Wola investment area. The main highlight of the visit was a focus group discussion with representatives of the city, academia, and the business community. The discussion was attended by Tomasz Miśko, First Deputy Mayor of Stalowa Wola; representatives of the Stalowa Wola City Council and the Youth City Council; the President and directors of the Stalowa Wola Regional Development Agency; representatives of the Sectoral Skills Centre for the Energy Sector in Nisko; a representative of SK nexilis Poland; as well as students and academic supervisors from the Warsaw University of Technology.

During the meeting, our students gained a better understanding of Stalowa Wola, as well as the needs and concerns of local residents and industry regarding the planned SMR (Small Modular Reactor) power plant. This will help them develop the final element of the project more effectively: an energy transition strategy and a public awareness campaign promoting it.

“This project has shown that energy transition cannot be learned from a textbook alone,” concludes Robert Zajdler, PhD, from the Faculty of Administration and Social Sciences, the project leader. “Students need to see the technology, engage in discussions with industry representatives, local authorities, and entrepreneurs, and then translate this knowledge into solutions that address the specific needs of the municipality, its residents, and the local economy”. The meetings with GE Vernova Hitachi and ORLEN OSGE, as well as the study visit to Stalowa Wola, helped students understand that SMRs are not only a nuclear technology, but also a tool for discussing Energy security, industrial competitiveness, and a just local transition.