A Government of British Columbia announcement today is giving UNBC the
opportunity to be a showpiece for bioenergy and the first university in
Canada to be heated largely with renewable energy. The University has
received $3.5 million from the Government’s Innovative Clean Energy
(ICE) fund, the largest investment among the 15 projects announced
today at UNBC by Ida Chong, Minister of Technology, Trade, and Economic
Development, and Richard Neufeld, Minister of Energy, Mines, and
Petroleum Resources.
Link:
Government of BC news release
The proposed UNBC project is intended to focus on testing the economic,
environmental, operational, and industrial viability of bioenergy and
biomass fuels such as wood. The University is currently exploring the
potential of gasification technology, which converts biomass to heat
and a synthetic gas. The system would be added to the UNBC Power Plant
and supplement the University’s existing boilers, which currently burn
natural gas.
“In addition to reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, a bioenergy
system on campus could significantly reduce our greenhouse gas
emissions and serve as a platform for expanding our teaching and
research related to energy and community sustainability,” says Ian
Hartley, the Acting Vice-Provost for Research and Graduate Programs at
UNBC. “This is an exciting opportunity for UNBC and the North that will
showcase BC’s innovations to the world. The investment announced today
by the Government of BC is greatly appreciated.”
The University’s campus infrastructure is key to implementing a renewable energy system.
As depicted in the diagram at the top right of this screen, all of the core campus buildings
located within the University Ring Road are connected to the Power
Plant by the Agora and a utility corridor. This is an efficient
infrastructure that also makes the campus ready for implementing new
energy systems. In the early 1990s when the campus was being built, the
Power Plant was designed for expansion and to accommodate alternative
energy systems. A bioenergy installation, for example, could be
attached to the Power Plant and immediately connect to the hot water
pipes already serving the campus (see the photo with Doug Carter to the right). A bioenergy system could then provide base
heating for the entire year, and be supplemented by the existing
boilers during periods of peak loads and very cold temperatures.
Contact:
Rob van Adrichem, Director of Media and Public Relations, UNBC – 250.960.5622
