People

BCRI Team

BCRI Leadership

Hassan Hamza, Ph.D.

President

Dr. Hamza brings with him some 40+ years of R&D experience at the government-industry nexus, including in the role of Director General at Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY Research Centre and as Adjunct Professor at the University of Alberta. Dr. Hamza is considered an international authority on solid/liquid separation, and the recipient of multiple awards in oil sands R&D. 

James Lockhart, P.Eng.

VP and Chief Technical Officer (CTO).

James Lockhart has over 20 years of experience in chemical process technology development, technology scale-up, and commercialization of innovative systems. James has experience on a variety of electrochemical and thermochemical processes including most relevantly one liberating nano-materials utilizing partial acid hydrolysis based processes and subsequent acid removal/recycling and purification of both the nanomaterials as well as the acid for re-use, as well as novel high temperature reactor design for pitch carbonization as part of an enhanced coking process. James has developed/commercialized various patented chemical technologies that have been deployed at industrial scale including selective chloride removal from alkali streams, improved reactor conditions for reduced acid usage, acid purification and recovery and other relevant processes. Since 2018 James has taken on the role of Vice President and CTO of BC Research, NORAM’s wholly owned Research division where he is responsible for the technical vision and direction for the company, safety and management of the company and will provide technical input, and guidance to the team.

Andrés Mahecha-Botero, Ph.D., P.Eng.

Director of Business & New Intellectual Property Development

Andrés is a senior executive engineer specializing in driving growth and innovation within the Clean Technology sector. With extensive expertise in thermochemical and electrochemical process technologies, he has a proven track record in intellectual property development, technology scale-up, pilot plant design, industrial project execution, business development, and commercialization of new technologies. He has authored over 100 international technical publications, including book chapters, academic journal articles, and industrial conference proceedings. His research and industrial contributions span clean process technology, catalytic reactors, hydrogen production and purification, CO2 capture and utilization, lithium refining, gas and sulfur species conversion and pollution control, bioproducts and green chemicals, and chemical systems integration. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemical and Biological Engineering from the University of British Columbia (UBC), where his work focused on advanced reactor modeling and experimental validation. He also contributed to academic research and taught at both graduate and undergraduate levels at UBC. Andrés has held various roles in heavy industries and clean technology, including process engineering, project engineering/management, and plant commissioning/start-up. Andrés holds six international patent disclosures and oversees the development and management of NORAM Group’s global IP portfolio. He is also the Director of Business and New Intellectual Property Development at BC Research Inc. (BCRI), the innovation and technology arm of the NORAM Group of Companies. 

Publications and Weblinks:

Michael Gattrell, Ph.D., P.Eng.

Chief Scientist

Michael Gattrell has over 30 years of experience in chemical technology development. Michael works on improving existing chemical processes, moving new processes forward from the laboratory/research stage, developing process models, and sizing and costing of processes. Michael has experience with a range of areas including: carbon fibers from Alberta asphaltenes, chemical feedstocks from Kraft black liquor through fast pyrolysis, production of sugar alcohols, bromine and nitrogen trichloride control in chlorine production, nitration of aromatics, subcritical wet-ox technology for the treatment of nitration wastewater (red water), redox-flow batteries, the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to fuels, and electrochemical wastewater treatment. He has a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry from the University of Toronto, with focus on electrochemical processes. Michael provides oversight to project teams ensuring the different aspects of various projects are harmonized to develop an optimized and successful technical solution most suitable for subsequent commercialization.  

Publications: 

Technical Team

BCRI has a strong multidisciplinary team of engineers, scientists and modelling experts. We have experts in relevant disciplines of engineering and science with a focus on safety, fundamentals, new process development and scale-up. Our roster includes experienced chemical process engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical and instrumentation engineers, research scientists, chemists, chemical technicians, mechanical assembly technicians, certified welders, and prototyping technicians. Moreover, we can draw resources from other areas of the NORAM Group as needed, and we have a wide network of collaborators in universities and research organizations in Canada and abroad.  

BCRI has the following technical teams 

  • Engineering: Chemical process engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical  and instrumentation engineers. 
  • Research Science: R&D engineers and R&D Chemists. 
  • Analytical Chemistry: Analytical chemists and technicians. 
  • Mechanical Assembly and Fabrication: Mechanical designers, mechanical assembly technicians, welders. 
  • Simulation: Simulation engineers.