A group of Tees Valley students were given an exciting opportunity to tour the giant Teesworks development as part of their innovative ‘Big Big Project’.

The Year 8 students, from Outwood Riverside, were led on a guided tour of the 2,500-acre site to gain valuable insights and see the development as part of the second stage of its careers project.

As part of the school’s careers provision, the project involves a team of students competing against other local schools to design a Hydrogen Super Place – a new site that would produce and distribute hydrogen.

Teesworks was chosen by the group as the ideal location for their hydrogen facility, thanks to its strong connectivity and the green energy projects already planned for the site.

As part of their work, the students will create a 10-minute creative presentation to an external board, showcasing the location, design and function of their hydrogen facility.

Neil Young, Teesside Freeport Skills & Workforce Development Manager, said: “It’s always inspiring to see passionate young people on the site and to showcase the exciting transformation at Teesworks.

“It’s crucial to inspire young people about the career possibilities right here in the Tees Valley, and Teesworks is proud to play a role in supporting local school initiatives.”

Each student has been assigned a specific role within the project team, including Project Manager, Head of Finance, Location Planner and Research and Development.

Suraya Patanai, the Project Manager for the team at Outwood Riverside, said: “We chose Teesworks because of its transport connections to road, sea and railway for transporting our hydrogen.”

“We’ve learnt today that the site also has a big supply of power, so this is perfect for our project.”

The team meets weekly, alongside mentor meetings with PD Ports to present their progress and receive feedback ahead of final presentations at each project stage.

Emma O’Brien, Art Teacher at Outwood Riverside and tutor for The Big Big Project, added: “They’re an absolutely fantastic group to work with. They’re really passionate about the project, always coming up with new ideas and doing extra research.

“We really appreciate Teesworks opening its doors for us, and it’s been great for the group to see the site first-hand to help them design their model facility.”

Should the group be successful with the next presentation, they will advance to the live finals and compete against other schools for the title of the best Hydrogen Super Place.