Texts and photographs: Gregorio Moya Gracia
My name is Gregorio Moya and I am a Mechanical and Industrial Engineer from the Polytechnical University of Algeciras. My beginnings were in the Oil & Gas sector working as a Project Engineer in design, fabrication and industrial construction. Over time I specialized in the construction of liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanks and in construction management for different types of projects.
This experience served as a springboard for me to change my trajectory towards Nuclear Engineering with IDOM where I had the opportunity to dive into this sector, learn about nuclear culture, and participate in complex and exciting projects such as the ITER Fusion reactor and the Jules Horowitz material test reactor, both in France.
In 2019 I moved to Canada to participate in the design of a state-of-the-art molten salt reactor (Gen IV) as Mechanical Engineering Design Lead at Moltex Energy and since then I have focused on the world of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
How many years have you been in your current responsibility?
Since I moved to Canada 6 years ago, the focus has been on the development of SMRs, initially at Moltex and then at New Brunswick Power in the advanced reactor development team.
At the same time, for the last 3 years I have been North America area manager for business development in the nuclear sector, and occasionally supporting other business lines such as Fusion, which has been progressing very rapidly in recent years.
Which are the main activities of your current position?
The tasks are very varied, from analysis or engineering studies, supporting other departments such as environmental or licensing, overseeing field work contractors, and coordination of the IDOM team in Canada.
Which are the most significant aspects of your work?
What I would highlight the most is integrating myself into Canadian culture. Canada is a pro-nuclear country, they have the successful CANDU (CANada Deuterium Uranium) design, which uses natural Uranium as fuel and is exceptionally safe.
With this solid foundation and a mindset of innovation and progress, since I arrived in Canada, I have had the opportunity to participate in the development of new technologies, interact with experts from different areas, participate in international conferences and above all expand my vision and my perspectives for the future.
How did the move influence your family/personal life?
Most of my professional career has been spent away from home, in Spain in other provinces (Huelva and Barcelona) and abroad (Finland) where I worked on different projects. From my family’s point of view, Canada has always been seen as a very attractive, safe country, and as soon as the opportunity arose, we did not hesitate for a moment.
We were living in Barcelona, so the change was drastic, from a vibrant city with more than 5M inhabitants to Saint John, a quiet city surrounded by nature, with barely 0.1M inhabitants.
As for the education system, the province of NB is the only bilingual province in Canada, so my daughters have the opportunity to learn both languages and they also (very important for them) enjoy going to school on the typical yellow american bus.
Winter is special, with unique places such as frozen rivers, although sometimes it can be long and tough. We quickly had to learn the art of shovelling snow from our driveway. The rest of the year is pleasant without extreme temperatures like those we see in Spain, and the striking bright red Canadian maple leaves we see in the autumn months are a wonderful reminder of where we are.
What do you miss from Spain?
The main drawback is the distance from friends and family. Saint John is a small city with limited access to international transportation routes. However, we still try to go to Spain once or twice a year to spend time with family.
In terms of culture, there are many things that I miss, such as the Andalusian people. Canada is very different, but it is a very welcoming, safe country, people here are pleasant and polite, and we have integrated into life in Canada very well so today we want to continue to enjoy this “journey”, and we have no plans to return to Spain in the short term.
Do you invite young people to broaden their professional horizons outside?
YES. I think it is very important to look for this type of opportunities and not let them pass you by. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, working in an international environment and with a nuclear mentality that is different from that of Spain, is very enriching and can open many doors in the future.
Personally, learning about other cultures, meeting people and understanding their customs (such as the sport of axe throwing) can be a lot of fun and create unforgettable memories.
