The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Battle Creek has signed a contract with Nexterra Systems Corp. of Vancouver, British Columbia, to design and construct a biomass gasification system to provide heat and power. The 28 MMBtu/hour project will supply 14,000 pounds of steam per hour and 2 MW of electricity, with greenhouse gas emissions being reduced by 80 percent. The electrical production will furnish about 85 percent of the medical center’s demand. The combined heat and power unit will use locally-sourced residual biomass.