Nexterra gasification CHP system to demo at UBC

Feb. 18, 2010, Vancouver – The University of British Columbia (UBC) and biomass
gasification company Nexterra Systems Corp have announced that UBC will install
and demonstrate an on-site biomass-fuelled combined heat and power (CHP)
solution developed by Nexterra and GE Power & Water's gas engine division.
The CHP system will be located at UBC's Vancouver campus, where it will provide
renewable heat and electricity for the campus and offer a platform for
bioenergy research.

The
new CHP system is the first of its kind in North America and combines Nexterra
gasification and syngas conditioning technologies with a GE high-efficiency
Jenbacher gas engine. Woody biomass will be gasified and converted into clean
synthetic gas, or syngas, that will be directly fired in a gas engine. The CHP
system will be capable of providing very high net efficiencies of up to 65% in
cogeneration mode. The system will produce renewable heat and power, and will
surpass Metro Vancouver's air quality standards.

The
solution will produce 2 MW of electricity that will offset UBC's existing power
consumption. This is the equivalent electricity required to power about 1500
homes. The system will also generate enough steam to displace up to 12% of the
natural gas that UBC uses for campus heating, thereby reducing greenhouse gas
emissions by up to 4500 tonnes/year. This is the equivalent of taking more than
1100 cars off the road.

"This
project demonstrates UBC's leadership in sustainability and our concept of the
campus as a living laboratory," says UBC president professor Stephen
Toope.

“We
believe this new CHP solution represents a potential breakthrough for biomass
power generation and look forward to working with UBC and Nexterra to
successfully complete the demonstration," says Prady Iyyanki, CEO, gas
engines for GE Power & Water.

UBC
is also collaborating with FPInnovations to house the CHP system in a building
designed and constructed using cross-laminate timber (CLT). CLT is a new solid
wood building material that can be used as a low-carbon, renewable alternative
to steel frame construction. This will be one of the first CLT buildings in
North America and will demonstrate its market potential for the forest
industry.

Funding
support for the project is being provided by the Government of Canada's Clean
Energy Fund administered through Natural Resources Canada, Sustainable
Development Technology Canada, the BC Bioenergy Network (BCBN), and
FPInnovations.