Medical centre to install Nexterra gasifier

Sept. 13, 2011, Vancouver – Nexterra
Systems Corp. has signed a $6.9-million (USD) contract to deliver a biomass
gasification system for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
(VAMC) in Battle Creek, Michigan. The state-of-the-art biomass gasification
system will provide clean, carbon-neutral heat and power to the medical centre.

The total cost of the project is $18
million (USD); the system will be delivered in partnership with DeMaria
Building Company and HGA Architects. Switching from fossil fuel to biomass
supports the Department of Veterans Affairs’ objectives of achieving a 30%
reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2020 and producing a minimum of
7.5% of electricity from renewable sources.

Switching from fossil fuels to biomass will
allow the VAMC to cut its GHG emissions by approximately 14,000 tons/year,
reducing its carbon footprint by approximately 80%. This would be the
equivalent of removing 3,500 cars from the road annually. The move also enables
the facility to meet the requirements of the Obama Administration’s Executive
Order 13514, which declared the U.S. federal government’s commitment to
reducing its GHGs by 28% by 2020.

The 28-million BTU/hour gasification system
will be designed to supply the facility with 2 MW of renewable electrical power
and 14,000 pounds/hour of saturated steam. By using locally sourced residual
biomass, which is in plentiful supply in the region surrounding Battle Creek,
Michigan, the VAMC will reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, leverage its
operational spending locally in support of local industry, and divert debris
from landfill.