Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 28 May 2009 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Nexterra Energy Corp. (www.nexterra.ca) 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 CAD 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 more than 700 homes in British Columbia. The new system also will reduce the university's carbon footprint by approximately 3500 metric tons annually, the equivalent of taking 1000 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 center 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 power. Syngas is a clean burning combustible gas that can be used like natural gas to generate heat and power. Recent testing at Nexterra's plants in Canada and the United States 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.

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

Nexterra Energy is a leading supplier of biomass gasification solutions that generate heat and power for institutional and industrial customers. Nexterra's gasification technology is fully proven for thermal applications to displace natural gas. Sales to date include projects at the University of South Carolina, Dockside Green, the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Lab, Kruger Products, and Tolko Industries. Nexterra is a private company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. For more information, visit www.nexterra.ca.

The University of Northern British Columbia's core campus is in Prince George. The university currently serves about 4200 students annually. UNBC has a particular mission to be engaged in the economic, social, and environmental issues of the north and the bioenergy program is the most recent evidence of this regional commitment. The university has recently partnered with other local and regional agencies and corporations with the intent of developing a bioenergy center of excellence in Prince George. The bioenergy program at UNBC features three components: implementation in the operation of the campus, applied research, and community installations. For more information, visit www.unbc.ca.