Biofriends to develop South Korea’s first biomass-to-biomethanol facility

South Korean renewable energy company Biofriends has signed an initial agreement with local biogas producer Cheongmyeong to construct the country’s first commercial-scale biomethanol plant.

The facility will use biogas from Biofriends’ Gunsan digester to produce between 60,000 and 80,000 tonnes of biomethanol a year.

Around 120,000Nm³ of domestically generated biogas will be converted annually through Biofriends’ synthesis gas technology.

The project is designed to support the maritime industry’s transition away from fossil fuels, particularly as the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) tightens decarbonisation rules.

The biomethanol will be targeted at methanol-powered vessels in South Korea, strengthening the competitiveness of the country’s shipping sector as it adapts to a carbon-neutral market.

Part of the output will also be processed into dimethyl ether (DME), a clean-burning fuel with lower emissions of sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide.

The DME will be blended with LPG, taking advantage of existing infrastructure while reducing overall carbon emissions.

The announcement comes as South Korea prepares for its first biomethanol bunkering operations. Japanese shipping group NYK is expected to fuel a methanol-capable dry bulk carrier with biomethanol at Ulsan port in September.

The Biofriends–Cheongmyeong project brings together a wide range of domestic stakeholders, including Hyundai, Korea East-West Power, Ssangyong Engineering and Construction, Plagen, LF Energy, Hanbit Energy, S-Tech Korea, Optimum Trading and Infra Frontier Asset Management.

This article has been republished from The Bioenergy Insight.