Biomass Funding Announced

Wednesday, February 04, 2009 08:30 AM

Vancouver, B.C. - The B.C. Bioenergy Network has handed out nearly $5 million in funding to two companies engaged in biomass research and development.

Energy and Mines Minister Blair Lekstrom says $1.82 million will go to Lignol Innovations Ltd. and $3 million will go to Nexterra Energy Corp. Lekstrom says Lignol uses biorefining technology to turn wood waste into fuel-grade bioethanol and biochemicals. Nexterra develops systems that turn wood waste into clean, renewable heat and power using biomass gasification technology.

"By converting wood waste into clean energy, these projects will help ensure that we meet our province's future energy demands while at the same time supporting economic growth and job creation."

The B.C. Bioenergy Network was set up in April last year with a $25 million provincial grant. The goal of the industry-led association is to develop bioenergy research and technology and to set up pilot projects in key biomass resource areas.

Nexterra gasification systems are used to heat some buildings in Kamloops and Victoria. Company officials made a presentation about its biomass plants to Prince George City Council last spring.

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Posted on Wednesday, February 04, 2009 08:30 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Denaljo on February 4 2009 9:40 AM

25 million for an industry led association - sounds like corporate welfare to me.

Posted by: Born in BC on February 4 2009 9:53 AM

Why not give the money to UNBC to do the research and develop university and community owned research assets? It is corporate welfare. Nexterra does not appear to be public. There website goes nowhere. So they use public money to develop technology that they in turn own? What the hell?

Posted by: camoose on February 4 2009 10:11 AM

Many people already use biomass for heating in this province. It comes in the form of birch logs about 16" in length and processed in an airtight burning receptacle. There now, why should we subsidize private companies when we already know the answers?

Posted by: diplomat on February 4 2009 12:25 PM

A few years ago a Canadian solar cell inventor/potential manufacturer tried every possible avenue to get some seed/start up grant from Canadian governments. No luck.

According to a recent documentary on the CBC TV he contacted the German government. It gave him a business loan of several tens of millions of dollars, an empty factory and the land it sits on (for free) in the former East Germany.

The government also paid for a rail line and updated power lines to be extended to the property.

The factory was modernized and all the required manufacturing tools/robots installed. It is now making solar cells for the German and European markets, employing 300 people.

A success story.

The government is going to get its money back and Canada is probably buying solar cells from there.

Posted by: fenceman on February 4 2009 12:27 PM

Enough research already. We know it works, lets figure out a way to get these systems built, running and creating energy and jobs.

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on February 4 2009 1:37 PM

So, will we see the logging trucks hauling full length trees, instead of the "cut to fit" logs that come to town now? The mills want all the waste left in the bush right now.

Posted by: Harbinger on February 4 2009 4:30 PM

My governments aren't in the "venture capitalism" business. Either should our banks. It's my (our) money. Here's a wheelbarrow, there is the vault. Just take the money for a motor home or a holiday. If it is to start a business, there's the door.

Posted by: kevin1006 on February 5 2009 11:14 AM

The future is in the sun!!! Solar in all it's forms: direct sunlight energy, wind and tidal are there for the taking in amounts that human society could never fully use and yet we mostly are ignoring them in favor of energy that is a dead end. You cannot take and take and take biomass from the land and expect the land to stay healthy over the long haul. The real problem is getting a hillbilly culture to understand that you cannot keep mowing the regions forests down like they are only so much lawn that needs to be cut. The problem is cultural, a mind set that is rooted in the 19th century and not the future. Energy is not the problem... people's mentality is the problem.

Posted by: metalman on February 5 2009 6:44 PM

Kevintenohsix, solar has been the next big thing for nearly forty years now, but it never seems to be able to catch the 'future' I myself am an enthusiastic proponent of solar energy who is waiting for the prices to come down to within reach.
metalman.