Sara Betancur, engineer at Syngenia

From Colombia to Belgium – via Spain…

Electrical engineer Sara Betancur is a sparkling Colombian who, after studying in Colombia and Spain, came to make her home in Belgium a few years ago.

Following her initial experience in the renewable energy sector, Sara moved into nuclear energy when Syngenia sent her on mission to Tractebel Engineering.

  • What brought you to Belgium?

I started my studies in Colombia. Then I was awarded a grant that made it possible for me to do a Master in Renewable Energy in Spain. That’s where I met my husband, who is Belgian. We decided together to come back to Belgium to work here and start a family. I soon felt at ease here and in the end I even got used to the weather!

  • How do you feel about moving from the renewable energy sector into the nuclear one?

While Colombia has enough natural resources to be largely independent in the energy field, the same doesn’t go for Belgium, which depends on foreign resources. While Belgium does produce renewable energy, such as wind power, this production is not sufficient, and nuclear energy enables the demand to be met. As for me, I’m currently working on the electricity supply for the equipment at the Tihange site. I’m really keen on that job, because of the technical specifics involved.

  • In your view, what are the advantages of working on a Syngenia contract?

The atmosphere and communication are excellent at Syngenia. We have the opportunity to share our contacts and experiences in an informal way with other professionals and even more so during the training sessions and events that Syngenia organises for us. As a consultant, I feel completely integrated into the teams, while at the same time glimpsing the many possibilities on offer within the group. From a career point of view, that’s both pleasant and useful.