Mar 13 2013
The BC Bioenergy Network ("BCBN"), a provincially-funded leader supporting the growing bioenergy sector in British Columbia, announced today a $1.5 million loan to Vancouver based Quadrogen Power Systems, Inc. ("Quadrogen") to demonstrate high performance biogas clean-up to ultra-clean levels at the Village Farms International Inc. (Village Farms) greenhouse adjacent to the City of Vancouver landfill in Delta.
The funding supports two phases of the project. Phase 1 is designed to prove out Quadrogen's ultra-clean gas clean-up technology. Phase 2 expands the system to process higher gas quantities to demonstrate commercial viability.
The further removal of fuel contaminants, such as siloxanes from landfill biogas, will provide substantial environmental benefits and offer a variety of potential applications, including subsequent injection into the natural gas pipeline, higher food grade utilization of carbon dioxide, or upgrading to transportation fuel to replace diesel. These higher value applications will substantially improve the viability and economics of landfill gas utilization.
This biogas clean-up project is part of a larger $7.5 million technology demonstration project that will demonstrate the conversion of landfill gas to ultra-clean electricity, heat, renewable hydrogen, and carbon dioxide for use in greenhouses. Additional external funding includes $2.6 million grant from the Government of Canada through Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC). BCBN and SDTC work in partnership to identify high-caliber projects within the BC bioenergy sector with the goal of increasing the number of investment opportunities. Further leverage comes from a $1 million grant from the Government of British Columbia's Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund and in-kind support from the National Research Council (NRC). A repayable contribution is also being provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program (CAAP). In British Columbia, this program is delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. Village Farms, the project host, is one of the largest producers, marketers and distributors of premium-quality, greenhouse-grown tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers in North America, grown in sophisticated, highly efficient and intensive agricultural greenhouse facilities located in British Columbia and Texas.
"This best in-class project will demonstrate biogas clean-up to levels never achieved before," said Michael Weedon, Executive Director of the BC Bioenergy Network. "Quadrogen's technology looks to be an all-around winner, with the potential to enhance environmental benefits and generate significant revenue streams for municipalities and private operators."
"BC Bioenergy Network helped us move faster on the bio-methane application of our technology and quantify the potential of its commercial scale applications," states Alakh Prasad, President, Quadrogen Power Systems, Inc. "We have assembled a large high quality team of partners that include clean technology funders, developers, and an agricultural customer who share the goal of producing clean sustainable energy from organic waste materials."
"This technology will allow greenhouse operators to improve their competitiveness by making their operations more environmentally and economically sustainable through the use of biogas," said federal Agriculture Minister, Gerry Ritz. "We are proud to be a partner in the development of innovative energy solutions that increase the profitability of the agriculture sector."
Source: http://www.bcbioenergy.ca/