Nexterra and UBC sign collaborative bioenergy research agreement

Nexterra Systems Corp. and UBC have announced that they have signed a Collaborative Research Agreement to develop an advanced method of conditioning synthetic gas based on Nexterra’s proprietary biomass gasification technology.

Nexterra and UBC will work together on a project to assess the potential for a new, lower cost catalytic process for removing tars from the synthetic gas produced by Nexterra’s gasification technology. Work on the project will be done both at UBC and at Nexterra’s Product Development Centre in Kamloops, B.C.

This project is the first formal research agreement between Nexterra and UBC under an overarching Bioenergy Research and Demonstration Project (BRDP). The BRDP is a joint Nexterra and UBC initiative announced in February 2010 that includes installation of a new biomass combined heat and power plant on UBC’s Point Grey campus, as well as a range of teaching, learning and research initiatives.

“This agreement is a critical first step toward developing research projects that leverage UBC’s strengths in clean energy research with Nexterra’s world-class expertise in biomass gasification,” said John Hepburn, UBC’s Vice President Research and International. “UBC’s Vancouver campus will be a living laboratory for this project, which will create research opportunities for UBC students and faculty while ultimately reinforcing British Columbia’s leadership in clean energy solutions.”

Nexterra Systems is a leading supplier of biomass gasification solutions that generate renewable heat, power and syngas for institutional and industrial customers.