Science plays a key role in what we do at Stanwell, and we’re always finding new solutions and innovations that benefit the energy generation and mining industries, and the wider community.
To celebrate National Science Week, we are recognising all our people like Katrina Hartnett, who use science every day – whether this be technically, economically or socially.
Meet Katrina, a Chemical Technician at Stanwell Power Station.
Katrina’s role primarily involves ensuring our power station unit cycle chemistry is maintained, so that boiler and turbine integrity is upheld. Her thorough understanding of cooling water chemistry and the cycling capacity of our plant ensures condenser cleanliness and efficiency, and that the site is maintaining environmental compliance.
“I’m an industrial chemist, so my science focus is chemistry, she said.
“This means my teammates and I generally use science to establish how molecules interact.
“At a power station this is primarily water chemistry and looking at how the ions present in the water and how they want to interact with the materials they are in contact with.”
Katrina loves that science means you can better understand how things work.
“I’m a very process orientated person – and science in a broad sense, is the understanding of processes, from physics to chemistry and all the way through to biology.”
National Science Week runs until 22 August 2021, and you can find out more at https://www.scienceweek.net.au/. If you’ve got children encourage them to check it out, it might even spark their interest in a career in the energy industry!