Dunkerque LNG and its territory

Introducing children to the terminal and LNG

23/06/21

For Dunkerque LNG, integration of the terminal into the surrounding region is a natural development. With the exception of the current health crisis, visits and open days are regularly organised. For the first half of 2021, the focus has been on workshops in schools. These fun and educational workshops allow children to understand what LNG is used for and how an LNG terminal works. Let’s have a look at a CM1-CM2 class during a workshop.

The children are between 9 and 11 years old, so their curiosity is insatiable and they want to understand the why and the how. The workshops are organised by Dunkerque LNG along with Exirys, its service provider, and are always a great success. "Our workshops are extremely practical," explains Exirys’ Claire Dessaint, who is responsible for visits and events on industrial sites. "We start by introducing the question of what gas is and where does it come from? How is it transported? What is it used for? In what ways is it useful in our day-to-day lives? Then we explain the role of the Dunkerque LNG terminal in this process." There are two workshops organised for primary school students. During the environmental workshop, the children learn about the dune area that lies in the immediate vicinity of the terminal as well as the fauna and flora for whom it is home and they make an artistic display for the class. The safety workshop shows them how to protect themselves from risks encountered on the site. This includes a life-size game of snakes and ladders, questions and answers and a relay race during which the children must put on personal protective equipment such as helmets, gloves, etc. The aim is to teach them about technical matters in a very practical and educational way.

Proximity, a core value

Each year, more than 200 children from Loon-Plage and Gravelines take part in these school workshops. "Proximity is a core value for employees at Dunkerque LNG, concerned as they are with communication," stresses Florian Bagnasco, communications officer in charge of relations with the region. "Like the Gravelines nuclear power plant, the terminal is part of their immediate environment. It is important that they understand its purpose. The children also get information about industrial jobs, which opens up new horizons for them and could even, perhaps, lead to vocations! We also tell them about our commitment to safety and the environment. In the evening, the students talk about what they have experienced and what they have learned, and discuss it with their families."

The school workshops are one aspect of the relationship that the terminal has with those who live in the region. Dunkerque LNG hopes to resume site visits as of September 2021, if the health situation allows it. Each year, more than 1,000 people visit the terminal. "We are looking forward to seeing visitors again."

If you would like to visit the facilities, please send your request to visite@dunkerquelng.com

Article présenté sur la lettre d'information : Juin 2021