UNBC gasifier officially opens

Mar. 22, 2011, Prince George, BC – A
state-of-the-art biomass-fuelled energy system
has been formally unveiled at the University of Northern British Columbia
(UNBC) in Prince George, British Columbia. The system was supplied and installed by Nexterra Systems. The UNBC project will convert
locally sourced wood residuals into clean-burning syngas, enabling UNBC to
economically self-generate renewable heat. The system will displace up to 85%
of the University’s natural gas consumption, contributing to energy cost
savings of approximately $500,000/year. The system will also reduce greenhouse
gas emissions by up to 3,500 tonnes/year.

The UNBC biomass project integrates campus
operations with research, teaching, and community development. The UNBC
Bioenergy Project was selected as the #1 Campus Sustainability Project in North
America by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher
Education.

”The objective of this project was not only
to produce renewable energy, but also to do it in the most sustainable way,”
says UNBC president George Iwama. “Our wood source is just a few kilometres
from campus. The building is built to LEED Gold standards.”

The UNBC bioenergy project was made
possible by the federal and provincial governments through the Knowledge
Infrastructure Program. The project attracted $5 and $3.5 million from the
province’s Public Sector Energy Conservation Agreement and Innovative Clean
Energy Fund, respectively.

See also:
Public tours of UNBC's bioenergy plant, by 250 News
The 'bigger picture' of UNBC's bioenergy plant, by Michelle Cyr-Whiting, 250 News