The Ministry of Environment (Minister Han Wha-jin) announced that it has selected projects from eight local governments for the '2024 Integrated Biogasification Facility* Installation Public Project.'

* A facility that integrates the processing of more than two types of organic waste, including sewage sludge, food waste, and livestock manure, to produce biogas

The eight selected local governments are Incheon Metropolitan City, Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do; Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-do; Chuncheon, Gangwon-do; Hoengseong-gun, Gangwon-do; Buyeo-gun, Chungcheongnam-do; Mokpo, Jeollanam-do; and Suncheon, Jeollanam-do.

The 'Integrated Biogasification Facility Installation Public Project' has been underway since 2022 to promote the expansion and use of biogas. With the inclusion of the eight selected local governments in this project, a total of 15 integrated biogas facilities will be implemented.

The Ministry of Environment received project applications from local governments nationwide for one month starting from early January. A total of 19 local governments submitted applications. On February 22, a selection committee composed of experts was convened to examine the suitability and effectiveness of the projects. Taking into consideration factors such as site acquisition, smooth communication with local residents, adherence to pre-procedural measures for prompt budget execution, and considering them as environmental infrastructure facilities, the committee focused on assessing the feasibility of project implementation and ultimately selected eight projects.

The details of the projects selected for each local government are as follows.

Incheon Metropolitan City plans to produce biogas by integrating food waste and sewage sludge, purify it, and sell it to fuel cell facilities.

Gwangju (Gyeonggi-do) plans to collaborate with private companies to supply biogas processed by integrating food waste, sewage sludge, and human waste to urban gas and fuel cell power generation facilities.

Gwacheon (Gyeonggi-do) plans to integrate process food waste and sewage sludge, utilizing the produced biogas for hydrogen production.

Chuncheon (Gangwon-do) plans to integrate process food waste, sewage sludge, and human waste, utilizing the biogas for hydrogen production.

Hoengseong (Gangwon-do) plans to integrate process food waste, sewage sludge, and livestock manure, including manure from cattle, and supply the produced biogas to the Hoengseong-gun Eco-Energy Town. 

Buyeo (Chungcheongnam-do) plans to integrate process livestock manure and food waste to produce biogas, which will be utilized for power generation.

Mokpo (Jeollanam-do) has reached an agreement with Sinan-gun for the installation of metropolitan facilities. The city plans to integrate process food waste and sewage sludge, with the produced biogas agreed to be supplied to a sludge drying facility.

Suncheon (Jeollanam-do) has signed a metropolitanization agreement with Gurye-gun. The city plans to integrate process food waste, sewage sludge, livestock manure, and human waste. Additionally, there are plans to utilize the produced biogas for selling urban gas and hydrogen fuel cell power generation.

If the eight selected projects are completed by 2030, approximately 1,660 tons of organic waste will be processed daily, resulting in the production of around 90,000 Nm3 of biogas per day. It is anticipated that this amount of biogas could be used for urban gas, potentially benefiting around 30,000 households.

With the enforcement of the Act on the Promotion of the Production and Use of Biogas Using Organic Waste Resources (hereinafter referred to as the "Biogas Act") by December 31, 2023, the Public Sector Biogas Production Target System will be applied from 2025. As a result, local governments in areas where the obligation for biogas production is imposed have shown increased interest in the installation of integrated biogasification facilities. To address this, the Ministry held policy and project briefing sessions for local government officials in February this year, with over 400 participants from across the country. 

The materials related to the briefing sessions are available in electronic format (PDF) on the Ministry of Environment website at me.go.kr. 

The Ministry plans to transition from an open competition to a designated method for the 'Integrated Biogasification Facility Installation Project' starting in 2025. Currently, budget applications are being accepted from local governments nationwide until March 26. 

Furthermore, for local governments that were not selected in the current 'Integrated Biogasification Facility Installation Public Project' but are in the process of preparation, the Ministry plans to provide pre-consulting to facilitate their participation in the 2025 project and encourage compliance with pre-procedural requirements.

Kim Jong-ryul, Director General for Water Environmental Policy Bureau the Ministry of Environment, stated, "It is important to expand the scope of biogas to utilize organic waste such as sewage sludge and food waste as energy." He added, "With the enforcement of the Biogas Act since the end of last year, there has been increased interest in local biogas. We will continue to expand support for integrated biogasification facilities, increase biogas production, and work towards achieving renewable energy production and carbon neutrality."

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division. 

Contact person: Gina Lee, foreign media spokesperson

Phone: +82-44-201-6055

Email: gcjgina @gmail.com