HAMMERSMITH schoolchildren took a tour of a new energy education centre designed to teach them how to preserve precious resources.

Pupils from Canberra Primary School helped launch the centre, based at the home of National Grid's London Power Tunnels project, in Willesden, last Thursday (14/6).

The £1bn London Power Tunnels project is a major construction scheme to rewire the capital, via deep underground tunnels, to meet increasing electricity demand and help London to access the renewable energy of the future.

The free centre is aimed at primary and secondary school pupils across west London and will provide information about energy production and its usage.

Steve Holliday, National Grid chief executive, said: “The Energy Education Centre gives us a unique opportunity to help get young people interested in science and engineering. These skills will help them compete for critical jobs in the UK.

“National Grid is at the heart of one of the greatest challenges facing our society, the creation of new sustainable energy solutions for the future. The young people we inspire today will be our engineers of tomorrow.”