About Us
Critical Technologies Consulting (CTC) is a multi-services professional consulting firm that focuses primarily on the Power Industry and technically complex projects. CTC is registered as a small business. It is comprised of a core team of highly experienced professionals that covers the spectrum of project required capabilities, and average over 42 years of hands on experience in all phases of project planning, execution and facility operations.
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All personnel utilized by CTC have at least 30 years of experience and have worked together in both planning and executing projects, and in bringing their individual expertise together in independently reviewing, advising, and reporting on the performance of various client projects.
Ben Hill
President and CEO
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As an Executive Project Director in the Power market, he provides all project related activities as well as Owner Engineering, Independent Engineering, and Project Management services. He provides consulting and management services in the power (coal, nuclear, gas, IGCC, renewables), construction, water, and wastewater industries as well as Government sectors.
Typical activities include overall project management, pre-construction studies such as labor analysis, cost studies and analysis, economic impacts, development of project plans and procedures, nuclear plant outage coordination, project layout and reviews of conceptual designs, constructability reviews, preparation of bid documents, evaluation of bids, contracts, and other related project documents, and provides all required Engineering and Construction Management and Owner Engineering Services.
Dinos Nicolaou, MBA
Executive Vice-President
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Has over 40 years of experience in all areas of project controls, Financials, Earned Value Management System, Cost, Planning and Scheduling, Scope Control and Risk Management for all phases of a project, at home and field offices. His background encompasses several industries with most in power generation including Nuclear, and transportation projects. He has reported to all levels of Management including Presidents of major Companies and Deputy Secretaries (DOE) He has been an Executive Consultant representing the Public Service Commission of Mississippi, Arizona, Georgia, and Attorney General for the State of Arkansas as an Independent Monitor on a multi-billion-dollar projects. He has been part of and lead External Independent Reviews and Independent Cost estimates for DOE for 15 years throughout the USA.
Al Ferrer, BS Mechanical, MS Nuclear Engineering
Executive Vice-President
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As executive vice president of Critical Technologies Consulting, he manages all aspects of the Consulting Business. With over 40 years of professional experience in the US and international power and water industry. He provides services to our clients which include Owner’s Engineering, Independent Engineering, Due Diligence, Acquisition Services, Industry Plant Performance improvement, Operational Risk Management, Upgrades and Life Cycle Extensions, and numerous other services. He has directed and executed Projects in the US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Korea, Peru, Chile, and Guatemala. He has experience implementing desalination, nuclear, gas and combined cycle, biomass and biogas, geothermal, IGCC, circulating fluid bed, renewables such as solar, wind both offshore and onshore, and other industrial plant renewable generation technologies such as biodiesel, biogas, and algae-based fuels. He has directed and executed work in the US and worldwide. He has implemented various utility grade solar facilities of up to 150 MW and conducted due diligence on solar plants of up to 250 MW. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a MS in Nuclear Engineering and has participated in Executive Management Educational Programs.
Mr. Ferrer has been key to the Minera Spence project in maintaining an open and independent point of view on all the challenges Minera Spence Desal Project has experienced. He can be an invaluable asset in assisting the Lenders and Caitan achieve COD.
Don Grace, P.E., MBA
Vice-President - Engineering
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Over 50 years of hands on technical, management and executive experience with all Life Cycle Phases of major facility project (i.e., due diligence economic evaluation, design, licensing, construction, start-up and testing, commissioning, operations, and decommissioning). Many of the project experiences were First of a Kind (FOAK). Graduated Cum Laude from US Naval Academy and served as a nuclear qualified submarine officer. Awarded fellowship to attend Harvard Graduate School of Business and from there earned an MBA degree. Registered Professional Engineer. Worked at progressive levels of management (including President of a company to develop FOAK facilities to dispose of US Nuclear Weapons Program By-Product Wastes). Has worked 17 years for an electric utility, and another 17 years for an Architect Engineering firm, and am highly experienced in all phases of electric power plant development and operations. More recently have functioned primarily as an Executive Consultant, during which time I have (a) led Project Management Reviews of multi-billion-dollar FOAK US Department of Energy Projects, (b) worked for the Thailand nationalized utility in leading a study of alternative means of meeting future energy demands, and (c) more recent assignments have included testifying as an expert witness for various state Public Utility Commissions.
Sam Petrosi, P.E.
Chief Nuclear Engineer
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Over 40 years of experience with increasing responsibility in the field of nuclear engineering including design, licensing, project management, construction, and testing. He has held positions as Chief Nuclear Officer, Chief Nuclear Engineer, Design Engineering Manager, Engineering Consultant and Project Manager at Architect/Engineer and Consulting firms and Engineering Manager, Engineering Supervisor and Project Engineer at Electric Utilities. His career spans new nuclear plant design and operating nuclear plants support. Mr. Petrosi holds a B.S in Nuclear Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Professional Engineer’s License in the state of New Jersey.
Ray Bryant,
Vice-President - Construction
Over 36 years of experience in project and construction management, engineering design, and administration of major construction projects and facility maintenance programs. He has strong expertise in all phases of engineering and construction projects including planning, scheduling, cost control, design, construction inspection, quality assurance, environmental control, and project financing. Mr. Bryant has utilized his exceptional skills to promote and enhance the profit margin for companies in engineering and construction fostering a cooperative atmosphere resulting in improved productivity.