Goran Vlajnic, P. Eng. Email & Phone Number

Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Provide independent technical advice to clients, including small and medium-sized enterprises, government, industry and private investors on clean (low-carbon) technologies. Assess emerging clean technologies throughout North America and Europe, and identify potential market applications. I leverage my extensive network in industry, academia and various levels of government to bring different stakeholders to the table, and accelerate technology development and deployment.

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Launched the Carbon Capture and Conversion Institute. Secured $2.5 M funding and collaborated with strategic partners to build a state-of-the-art facility to accelerate development, scale up and commercialization of clean, low-carbon technologies. Responsible for full Institute oversight, including safe operation, strategy execution, capacity building, and operational excellence. As a part of the Leadership Team for CMC Research Institutes, I actively participated in development and implementation of the new organizational strategy and operational plans.Secured non-diluted funding for development and validation of early stage carbon capture and conversion technologies, and helped several small and medium-sized enterprises advance their technologies. Worked with the Government of British Columbia to identify and develop potential technology pathways for reducing industrial CO2 and methane emissions, and achieving emission targets set by CleanBC climate plan. Collaborated with industry to identify technology and policy gaps and explored innovative solutions to create value while reducing GHG emissions. Developed trusted strategic relationships with senior leaders from industry, government and academia, and established collaboration with various international and domestic research partners.

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Developed a balanced technology portfolio with a potential for high ROI and improved sustainability across multiple fields. Co-led a joint industry project (JIP) with Shell and Cenovus Energy to scale up and demonstrate CO2 capture using molten carbonate fuel cells.Collaborated with partners from Canadian Oil Sands Innovation Alliance on the development of a new multi-stakeholder strategy, gap analysis, goals and technology portfolio to improve industry-wide GHG performance. Participated in a cross functional team that developed a comprehensive GHG Management plan which included various upstream and midstream abatement technologies, and potential carbon offsets. Worked with Corporate Affairs on regular GHG reports for the regulators. Led an industry consortium that established long-term research directions and strategies for the NSERC Industrial Research Chair for Novel CO2 Capture Technologies at the University of Calgary. Successfully leveraged external funding, aligned research priorities with industry needs, and managed stakeholders' expectations. Led the development of the corporate partial upgrading technology portfolio and co-founded the National Partial Upgrading Program; served on Steering Committee for several years.

Managed day-to-day operation of the biomass processing facility and provided leadership and mentorship to younger engineers. Led a comprehensive techno-economic assessment of a large-scale (1,000 tpd) biomass-to-ethanol plant and evaluated different energy integration scenarios to optimize the overall performance while reducing product cost. Increased throughput of a mobile fast pyrolysis unit by 35% and reduced the unit's downtime 2.5 fold by redesigning feeding and char/oil separation systems. Identified the best available wastewater treatment technology for remediation and reclamation of an abundant uranium mining site in Northern Saskatchewan.

Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Scaled up and transferred from the concept stage through to production the first internal low-cost, high-volume CCM that was integrated into a new multi-million dollar product line. Received the annual corporate Award of Excellence for New Technology. Led a high performing cross-functional team of up to 7 scientists and engineers that scaled up, manufactured and characterized the CCM by measuring its critical properties and connecting them with the fuel cell performance and durability data. Developed required engineering documentation, including component design requirements, material specifications and FMEA, and was responsible for change management. Negotiated and managed a fee for service CCM production contract with AFCC.

Responsible for new membrane electrode assembly designs for several automotive and stationary power programs. Led cross functional design teams and created, and managed MEA engineering documentation.Significantly reduced MEA cost by reducing total Pt loading 35% while maintaining its performance and durability. Optimized the catalyst layer design and the catalyst-membrane interface. Developed and demonstrated the first full catalyst coated membrane concept. Worked with the manufacturing team to develop a new high-volume, thin film coating process that significantly expanded the catalyst layer design space. Initiated and built a strategic partnership with the National Research Council's Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation. Managed a multi-year collaborative catalyst layer characterization project with IFCI.

Evaluated ex situ and in situ (a single cell and short stacks) performance and durability of novel ORR catalysts, and worked with suppliers to improve key catalyst properties and reduce batch-to-batch variability. Led a special catalyst layer coating project using CCVD process to demonstrate substrate independent ultra-low catalyst loading for significant cost reduction.Developed and tested organic based catalyst inks for improved performance and manufacturing.

• Reduced annual operating cost by 18% through an improved water softening process and increased throughput of multiple ion-exchange lines. Improved the efficiency of the lime softening process by optimizing operating temperature. • Reduced the cost of anti-corrosion protection in the 250 MW co-generation plant by 53%, including material and energy savings as well as increased production through the implementation of a new low-cost polymer technology. Worked with all levels of management to drive consensus and momentum toward the completion of project milestones.• Completed OHSE risk assessment for all key processes and unit operations, identified probability and severity of potential failures and implemented adequate mitigation strategies. Increased emphases on the preventive maintenance to reduce cost and the overall downtime.

• Improved the amount of light olefines produced from Syngas using Fischer-Tropsch reaction by optimizing catalyst selectivity and the process parameters such as T, P, reaction time and the feedstock composition. Process optimization was done in a small-scale chemical reactor with a novel catalsyt design. • Optimized and helped implement an improved regeneration process for the spent HDS catalyst (NiMo/Al2O3), used for the production of clean diesel in the oil refinery at Novi Sad. The new process substantially increased catalyst overall run time.

M.Sc., Chemical Engineering

Activities and Societies: Committee for Heterogeneous Catalysis at the Serbian Academy of Science and Art, Association of Chemical Engineers

B.Sc., Chemical Engineering