Vancouver, BC - Nexterra Energy Corp. announced today that it has been selected by the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) to supply and install a turnkey biomass gasification system to heat UNBC's Prince George campus and anchor its new Northern Bioenergy Innovation Centre.

Nexterra's system is part of a $14.8 million bioenergy program that includes upgraded road and utility infrastructure, a new building and a "living laboratory" for bioenergy research and development. The Nexterra gasification system will convert locally-sourced wood residue into clean-burning "syngas" that will displace up to 85% of the natural gas currently used to heat the campus. The project, which is jointly funded by the federal and provincial governments, is expected to begin in June 2009. It will be complete by mid 2010 and construction will support approximately 150 jobs.

By using wood residue to displace natural gas, UNBC will reduce its fossil fuel consumption by 80,000 GJ/year, the equivalent of natural gas required to heat over 700 homes in B.C. The new system will also reduce the university's carbon footprint by approximately 3,500 tonnes annually, the equivalent of taking 1,000 cars off the road.

"We are very pleased to partner with Nexterra to implement a project that will help to establish Prince George as a Canadian bioenergy centre and UNBC as a model for campus green energy," said Charles Jago, UNBC's interim president. "This project brings us one step closer to achieving our goal of being Canada's Green University, and will significantly help UNBC meet its current and future energy needs, while also reducing our carbon footprint and energy costs."

Nexterra's gasification technology is commercially proven for converting wood residue such as bark, branches, and sawdust into renewable synthetic gas or "syngas" which enables customers to economically self-generate renewable heat and/or power. Syngas is a clean burning combustible gas that can be used like natural gas to generate heat and/or power. Recent testing at Nexterra's plants in Canada and the U.S. has verified that particulate emissions from those facilities are equivalent to natural gas. The combination of ultra low emissions, syngas versatility and low cost makes this technology ideally suited to universities in urban environments.

"We are thrilled to have been chosen for this exciting clean energy showcase," said Jonathan Rhone, President and CEO of Nexterra. "This project reinforces British Columbia's leadership in clean energy innovation and technology. We look forward to working with UNBC, the Province of British Columbia and the federal government to establish UNBC as a northern hub of bioenergy innovation, economic development and job creation."

The project is supported by the federal and provincial governments through its Knowledge Infrastructure Program. The bioenergy project at UNBC also previously attracted $5 million from the Public Sector Energy Conservation Agreement (PSECA) and $3.5 million from the Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund.

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