N. Carolina to get Nexterra CHP system

June 23,
2010, Vancouver – Catawba County, North Carolina, will be getting a
biomass-fuelled combined heat and power (CHP) system developed by Nexterra
Systems Corp. in conjunction with GE Power & Water's gas engine division.
The CHP system, to be located at Catawba County's EcoComplex, will produce 2 MW
of electricity for sale to a local utility. Waste heat from the engines will be
used to dry biosolids produced at a new wastewater treatment facility.

Wood
waste diverted from Catawba's landfill will be gasified and converted into
clean synthetic gas, or syngas, using Nexterra gasification technology. The
syngas will be directly fired into a GE gas engine. The system will be capable
of providing up to 65% net efficiency in CHP mode, which makes it economic at a
small scale.

"This
new CHP system represents a paradigm shift away from large, centralized biomass
plants to a network of decentralized, smaller, and more efficient biomass
plants ideally suited for counties and municipalities," says Barry
Edwards, director of utilities and engineering for Catawba County. He expects
that it will generate revenue and help extend the life of the local landfill.

Catawba
County already produces 2.5 MW of electricity from landfill gas using GE
Jenbacher gas engines. The new biomass CHP system will complement the existing
landfill gas power system. It will use a similar Jenbacher gas engine, except
that it will operate on syngas produced by gasifying wood waste, instead of
landfill gas.