The New Renewable Industry wave is literally hitting the dumps. Some developers have turned their eyes from the sun, from the wind, from hydrogen, from fuel cells and all the way down to the landfill. Korea has the highest amount of CH4 out of any country in the world due to its well-preserved landfill environment. Also, its dense population creates a large concentration of sewage in the metropolitan area. Broken down to its purest form, this sewage is virtual gold mine for biogas production. This brown gold is the key to a possible new renewable source of energy, biogas. In the city of Seoul where over twenty million people routinely produce waste in their daily lives, what better place is there to utilize this untapped and otherwise undesirable resource

 

This is the country where a suburban landfill produces 50MW of landfill gas to provide electricity to 180,000 households. The operating company of this landfill gas power plant, ECO Energy Holdings, has a 19 year history in the biogas industry. CEO Song Hyo-soon explained: "Bio gas industry is the field that can reimburse all of the citizens who paid to dispose of waste, an area that someone has to step up to take care of. In other words, by reducing the disposal cost, new profit is created. For example, let's say that soap water ran down the drain as we washed our face, and the money was refunded to us for that water. Wouldn't we wash our face harder than ever If used water can make us more money, then, we need to wash our face more. This is what we call a Resource Circulation System."

ECO Energy Holdings is a biogasto- energy company equipped with highly advanced technology and strong global networks. Companies like Goldman Sachs invested 25 million dollars while many countries formed technical cooperatives. The LFG-to-Energy Project of ECO Energy Holdings collects landfill gas to postremove impurities, and turns it into electricity or heating fuel. The company also uses the materials remaining after sewage treatment. Fuel is generated from the gas released during the sewage sludge fermentation process and the remaining waste converts into landfill site molds.

 

ECO Energy Holdings' Carbon Emission Reduction Credits business catches the eye of developers all around the world. Noting that methane gas is 21 times more dangerous than carbon dioxide in the context of global warming, the company has enlisted in the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change and sells CER credits. Several countries have taken notice of its potential as Biogas is already listed as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and earns them profits. The CER credit is currently worth 15 dollars per ton. Furthermore, ECO Energy Holdings utilizes microbes to decompose organic waste and eliminates organic waste after fermentation.

 

"We as the biogas developers believe that we act as the bacteria of society that breaks down the waste and cultivates it into the form that is useful and beneficial to our society," Song continued, "Without any bacteria on the planet, there would be a buildup of waste of indescribable proportions to such an extent that we would be surrounded by garbage and consequently suffer from the negative effect that comes with the territory. Our job, therefore, is to decompose waste and make our environment more pleasant."

Biogas can be more reliable than solar, wind or hydrogen energy, since garbage is something people produce with great consistency. "What Korea needs is clear eyes that seek for a new growth engine rather than a passion to live well in the developing period," CEO Song said. "New Renewable Energy is quite new to all of us in the world. Everyone is at the toddler's stage and everyone has the chances to grab the vested rights in the field of New Renewable Energy in spite of development status of the country."

Here comes the alert on biogas research and development. Biogas Operation and Management Business has been providing stable cash flow to ECO Energy Holdings that enables it to invest in R&D projects. A total amount of 100 billion won has been invested so far. ECO Energy Holdings is playing its role to liquidate the things that have been produced in the past. "We collect methane from 230 previously built landfills within the country, and will soon collect methane from the sewage at an increasing number of water treatment centers," Song said. LFG-to-energy projects kill two birds with one stone by producing environmentally- friendly energy and securing economic feasibility.

"I feel blessed to be a Korean. I believe that I am able to work on a project like this because I am a Korean. If I belonged to a developing country, I wouldn't have known where to even begin, and if I belonged to a developed country, I wouldn't have started it because it is already way ahead in the process," Song remarked. On top of the landfill environment and dense population helps the biogas production business, Korea has two other factors that can serve the country to become a leading New Renewable Energy country.

Policy has recently turned its direction to meet the needs of the biogas industry. President Lee Myung-bak recently provided a solution for pipeline restriction. Biogas pipelines were prohibited to be connected to the city gas pipeline in the past. But on September 11, 2008, President Lee promised that the Ministry of Knowledge and Economy will change the rule and allowed biogas developers to use the city gas pipeline. This will encourage the sales of the biogas industry and will make the production worthwhile. "We have been under a dilemma between development and preservation since the Ministry of Environment had to brainstorm the ways to preserve the environment while the Ministry of Knowledge and Economy had to work toward the goal of development of the environment. But now that the government is highly interested in the growth of Green Industry, government sectors that can drive forward both preservation and developments are expected to be formed." Song said.

America is spacious enough to not to collect waste in a concentrated area, which does not require gas collection systems. On the other hand, a country with limited space like Japan collects waste in a concentrated area, yet their climate is unstable which has contributed to them developing their incineration system. But Korea has long been specialized in reclamation systems according to our circumstances. Likewise, everything from the country's geographical features to citizens' tastes come together to form an industry.

Statistic information shows that expansion of water treatment centers and the biogas industry will have a ripple effect on Green Industry and ECO Energy Holdings will never stop developing technology.