Marcel Moutarde, Start-up operator

With a Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences and Techniques, Marcel joined the Saur group as soon as he finished his studies. Firstly in the Research and Development department, where he monitored pilots on a number of Stereau/Saur technologies, then in Annonay in the Ardèche region, supporting Saur operators on issues of water quality and plant optimization. In 2006, Marcel joined the Stereau teams as a commissioning engineer.

His job is to ensure that the installations are up and running smoothly once completed. A technically delicate operation. For him, starting up a plant is like cooking a delicate dish that needs to be constantly monitored, with numerous parameters to follow to avoid the slightest drift. Often working alone on site with the automation engineers and operators he has to train, his job requires a lot of travel. Long days, sometimes weeks at a time, require a high degree of expertise and agility to deal with any situation and find the right solutions, with the support of our experts.

The job of start-up engineer requires a high degree of autonomy and expertise in fields as varied as chemistry and biology, as well as hydraulics, electromechanics, automation and electricity.

Finally, when everything is running smoothly, he writes the operating manuals and trains the plant operators on the processes implemented on the plants. You also have to know how to write and how to teach. In short, it’s an all-round job in the field, with a high degree of autonomy that requires unfailing commitment.

Spending weeks working on the plants he commissions, he knows every detail. He’s always a valuable source of information when it’s time to intervene again on a site.