Students of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute visited the Khmelnytsky NPP branch of NAEK Energoatom JSC. For future engineers, visiting energy facilities, especially such as KhNPP, is not just an educational event, but also a mandatory stage in the formation of their professional outlook and, perhaps, the first acquaintance with their future place of work.
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A modern engineer, ecologist or chemist is not just a theorist who knows the laws of nature, formulas or calculations. This is a specialist who is able to apply their knowledge in real-world conditions, especially in times of martial law, when not only professional skills but also the ability to quickly adapt to new challenges and work in conditions of limited resources and increased risks come to the fore. Therefore, university education becomes truly effective when it allows students not only to learn theoretical material but also to immerse themselves in the practical world of their future profession. In this context, a visit to the Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant on November 12, 2024, by students of the Faculties of Chemical Engineering and Chemical Technology of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute was a great opportunity to take another step towards their professional development.
The excursion to the Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant was organized on the initiative of Olena Ivanenko, Professor of the Department of Ecology and Technology of Plant Polymers at the Faculty of Engineering and Chemistry of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. She acted as the coordinator of this event, ensuring cooperation between the university and the KhNPP administration to create the most effective visit program.
The tour group included students majoring in Ecology and Chemical Technology and Engineering. They were accompanied by faculty members who helped to explain the complex technological and environmental aspects of the power plant.
The students were able to see with their own eyes how a powerful energy facility operates, where the clarity and coherence of all processes is the key to the energy security of the whole country.
The visit of future ecologists and chemists to KhNPP began with the training center, where they were shown a model of a nuclear reactor. The leading instructor of the STC, Vyacheslav Ivanov, explained in detail the principles and features of its operation, focusing on the environmental and safety issues of the technology. Visitors also had the opportunity to see a model of the nuclear cassette, a key element of the reactor, whose four-meter height is impressive and at the same time symbolizes the greatness of engineering. In addition, the operation of the emergency deceleration system was demonstrated, which ensures safe shutdown of the reactor under any circumstances. The tour of the training center culminated with an introduction to the simulator of the first power unit control panel, the heart of the nuclear power plant. The prototype simulator models the working conditions and allows the operating personnel to hone their skills by simulating real or emergency situations. It was a unique opportunity for the students to understand how critical decisions are made to ensure safe and uninterrupted operation of a nuclear power plant.
Equally important was the visit to the chemical shop of KhNPP, where the tour participants got acquainted with the chemical water treatment technologies, tasks and capabilities of the water-chemical laboratory, deepened their understanding of physical and chemical processes and saw how the knowledge they acquired in the classroom is applied in practice. This part of the tour was conducted by the chemical shop specialists and personally by the head of the unit Volodymyr Gudz, a graduate of the KPI Heat and Power Engineering Faculty with a degree in Nuclear Energy. There were a lot of questions, but the head of the chemical shop encouraged the students to come to the right conclusion on their own. This approach provoked a lively reaction and strengthened the participants' conviction that their education at the chosen polytechnic university provides a solid knowledge base for solving practical problems. Moreover, a number of highly qualified KhNPP professionals are graduates of the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, including Director General Andriy Kozyura, Acting Chief Engineer Yevhen Nosykov, Senior Shift Supervisor Mykhailo Koshkin, heads and specialists of the reactor and turbine shops and other key units of the plant. It is especially gratifying that our powerful university has trained and is training specialists for those industries that provide the people of Ukraine with much-needed energy and light in the difficult conditions of martial law.
A good example of the importance of such excursions for future specialists was the workshop with external water treatment systems. Some of the students noted that it was this workshop that helped them realize the size and scale of such large-scale and high-tech energy facilities.
For process chemical engineers, the tour was an introduction to the high-precision equipment and systems that ensure the quality of the nuclear power plant's operation and meet environmental standards. For environmentalists, this experience is an opportunity to assess how measures to minimize environmental impact are implemented in practice, from chemical water treatment to emissions monitoring. It is in such conditions that students learn to understand how essential the work of each element of the technological process is, and how valuable knowledge is to ensure the safety and reliability of the system.
Immersion in the real work of a nuclear facility allowed students to better understand the technological aspects of their specialties. The interaction between the students and Khmelnytsky NPP employees was particularly valuable, as they highly appreciated the motivation and level of training of future specialists. In his message to Olena Ivanenko, the tour coordinator, the head of the chemical shop said: “Thank you for the visit to your students and teachers, I hope everyone enjoyed it. I can say for sure that I personally and the employees of the chemical shop enjoyed it, it was a pleasure to communicate with active and motivated students and teachers. Today, it is not so common to meet people who want to learn and people who want to teach - I met them today, and it motivates me. Thank you again.” This feedback emphasizes not only the high level of professional knowledge of the tour participants, but also their interest and willingness to interact. At the same time, KhNPP specialists had the opportunity to share their experience, which also contributed to raising the professional level of communication between education and production. Thus, through direct communication with the plant's specialists, the tour participants learned about modern approaches to improving the safety and efficiency of energy facilities, and shared their ideas and knowledge. Of course, safe conditions were provided for the youth in case of an air raid alert. “Can we not leave here?” one of the students asked half-seriously.
Thanks to the cooperation between the university and the KhNPP branch of NAEK Energoatom JSC, students have a unique opportunity to practice at a critical and high-tech facility, which opens up endless opportunities for young professionals. Khmelnytsky NPP provides various areas of internships: for nuclear engineers, heat and power engineers, electrical and mechanical engineering students, economists and even translators - in total, more than 165 different specialties. And for ecologists and chemical engineers, there is a chemical water treatment shop and a water-chemical laboratory of the chemical shop, iron removal and wastewater treatment stations of the municipal utility, the environmental protection department, etc. Each unit has its own specifics and provides a solid basis for understanding the treatment processes. The internship itself, under the guidance of experienced specialists, lasts for a month, and then the students spend another month writing their thesis under their supervision. As a result, students not only gain practical skills in working at large and complex facilities, but also learn how to write articles or present research results from people with vast experience. The importance of this for young professionals cannot be overestimated. Within the framework of the cooperation agreement between NAEK Energoatom JSC and Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, each student has the opportunity to conclude a trilateral cooperation agreement with the possibility of internship and employment at Khmelnytsky NPP.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that such excursions are a good incentive for future young professionals to study and improve themselves, an opportunity for the company to invite people ready for achievements to join the team, and a confirmation for the university that its graduates are ready for the challenges of the real world.