A Korean scientist has developed an indigenous technology to produce bio oil from only wood scraps that can be put to commercial use in the near future, a state research center said Thursday.
Such a technology already exists and is in use in other countries, but the new, indigenous technology will prove to be equally efficient and less expensive, according to the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM).
A prototype plant, developed by KIMM researcher Choi Yeon-seok, produces 9 kilograms of bio-crude oil per hour, using only 15 kilograms of sawdust.
The plant's 60-percent conversion rate is considered marketable and competitive even in comparison with existing plants in the world, the institute said in a press release.
The new plant also uses a gravity-pulled process, cutting its use of electric power by about 30 percent and making it one of the most efficient in the world, Choi told Yonhap News Agency.
"This new technology will likely bring the country much closer to the commercialization of bio oil. We also plan to develop new technologies that will help further improve the quality of the plant and its product," he said.
Currently, bio oil is only used in static, or stationary, applications due to its poor quality, but Choi said his institute will work to become the world's first to successfully refine bio crude oil to produce high quality fuel for mobile applications, such as vehicles. (Yonhap)