The £2m gallery, developed in association with BP, The Vodaphone Group Foundation and BASF, has been designed to help young people explore how energy powers every aspect of their lives and how our energy demands will be met in the future.

The exhibition is split into three zones, Energy, which looks at how we use energy from the world around us to make electricity and fuel; Energy Today, which covers different forms of energy and how we use it; and Energy Futures, investigating how our lives could change in the face of growing energy demands and concern about the environment.

The gallery will not contain any traditional museum artefacts, instead offering interactive devices, computer games and screens.

It also complies with key National Curriculum and QCA guidelines for citizenship, science, geography and PHSE.

Ian Adam, director of UK social and community affairs for BP, said: “Education is a core element of BP’s social investment programme worldwide, focusing on what we know best: science, engineering and energy.

“The innovative Energy gallery will help build a better understanding of energy, allowing young people to explore the issues, see the impact of their actions and make decisions for the future.”

Admission to Energy – Fuelling the Future, which opens on 23 July, is free.