Biomass Gasification System for Heat and Power

By Emmanuelle Brière
September 2012

The University of British Columbia is heating and powering its campus with an advanced clean energy technology fuelled by wood.

Exterior of the heat and power system facility. Photo credit: Don Erhardt

The University of British Columbia is working towards being carbon neutral and becoming more sustainable through clean energy innovation.

In conjunction with Nexterra Systems Corp and General Electric (GE) Jenbacher, UBC has recently completed the installation of a unique system which will convert wood-based biomass into heat and electricity for the campus.

Through its Clean Energy Fund, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has supported the UBC project demonstrating novel Canadian made energy technology.

The Biomass Gasification Process

The new system combines Nexterra’s proprietary gasification technology with GE Jenbacher’s high efficiency internal combustion engine to create heat and electricity.

The combined heat and power system converting wood-based biomass into heat and electricity for the campus. Photo credit: Don Erhardt

To power the system, biomass fuel is fed into a gasifier where it’s heated in an oxygen-starved environment. It does not burn, but rather generates a synthesis gas, or syngas. The gas is used in two ways: first, to produce steam (thermal mode), and secondly, in demonstration (“cogeneration”) mode which produces both electricity and steam.

In thermal mode, the syngas is piped to an oxidizer where it is then burned. The hot exhaust from the oxidizer is directed to a boiler where it heats water to produce nearly 20,000 pounds per hour of steam for the university’s district heating system.

“In thermal mode, the steam produced offsets about 25 per cent of the campus’s current demand for heat,” says Brent Sauder, Director of Strategic Initiatives at UBC. The facility’s reduction of fossil fuel use will eliminate up to 9,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions each year, the equivalent of taking more than 1,800 cars off the road.

In demonstration mode, a portion of the syngas is conditioned to remove tars and other materials. It is then injected into the high-efficiency engine which powers a generator that produces electricity. It produces approximately the same amount of energy required to power 1,600 student residences. It also generates about 9,600 pounds per hour of steam, which accounts for about 12 per cent of campus demand for heat.

A Green Approach

The GE Jenbacher Engine generating electric energy. Photo credit: Don Erhardt

Wood fuel used to run the plant is collected from the City of Vancouver and local wood processing companies. It is carbon neutral material, some of which was previously destined for landfills.

Architecturally, the building itself demonstrates green principles. The facility’s enclosure is constructed using an innovative wood-based building system with low carbon and low environmental impacts called Cross Laminated Timber (CLT).

As CLT is manufactured from wood, the material is considered a carbon sequestering product and a green substitute to other building systems using steel or concrete.

Creating Opportunities

UBC’s bioenergy project embodies the concept of the Campus as a Living Laboratory for research. “The facility provides students with research opportunities and will potentially help municipalities set better standards for future bioenergy operation,” says UBC President, Stephen Toope. “Replication of the technology shows tremendous potential. In Canada alone it has the promise to offset approximately 435 kilotonnes (CO₂ equivalent) of GHG emissions annually.”

Locally sourced wood material in chip form delivered to the facility. Photo credit: Don Erhardt

The project also plays a vital role in demonstrating the technical and economical feasibility of a medium size, community scale (2-10 MWe) biomass gasification-based combined heat and power system. “This is an opportunity for Canada to open domestic and international markets and share its knowledge and experience with others looking for sustainable clean energy solutions and alternative fuels,” says John Gorjup, Project Manager, Clean Energy Fund Program at NRCan.

For more information, visit NRCan’s Energy Sector Site.

To read about related articles, see Renewable Energy.

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