Apologies for the horrible pun in the title, but day 8 deserves it! We got to tour CEZ’s Ledvice plant and the Dul Bilina mine today. CEZ is one of the largest energy companies in Europe and they have nuclear, coal, hydro, solar, and wind power plants. After a presentation, our group had the opportunity to explore different areas of the Ledvice Plant and see the inner workings up close. The scale of the facility alone was overwhelming. I’ve learned about systems like boilers and condensers in class, but seeing them in person, functioning on such a massive level, gave me a whole new appreciation for the complexity of power generation. I was especially excited for this visit because this summer, I’ll be interning at GE Vernova, one of CEZ’s partners, focusing on renewable energy.
After we left CEZ, we went to the Dul Bilina mine. This was a GIANT open coal mine that helps fuel a large part of the Czech Republic. Once again, just seeing the operations of this mine was incredible to experience. After today’s experience, I have a deeper appreciation for the work that goes into designing and building plants of this size. It also left me thinking about how rapidly the energy world is evolving. Engineers can spend years designing a groundbreaking plant, only for it to be replaced with the next innovation. The constant new discoveries is so exciting to me and I can’t wait to learn more during my internship this summer.
Swanson School of Engineering 