Seoul to Invest $22 Mil. for Biofuel Technology

By Ryu Jin
Staff Reporter

South Korea plans to spend about 20 billion won ($21.8 million) by 2010 on securing technologies to develop products made from biofuel, or fuel derived from organic matter, according to the government Monday.

Officials at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said that the government will begin a project to acquire the technologies for the production of biobutanol and other synthetic crude oil from biomass, coal and natural gas.

A total of 29 private companies, research institutes and universities will join the first stage of the ``next-generation clean energy development project’’ led by the ministry.

Biomass refers to living and recently dead biological material that can be used as fuel or for industrial purposes. It usually refers to plant matter grown for use as biofuel, but it also includes plant or animal matter used for production of fibers, chemicals or heat.

Biomass may also include biodegradable wastes that could be burnt as fuel. It, however, excludes organic material, which has been transformed by geological processes into substances such as coal or petroleum.

Amid high crude oil prices and an era of climate change, an increasing number of countries have been making endeavors to develop technologies for biobutanol, bio-to-liquid synthetic crude oil and natural gas hydrates.

Officials said that the government would provide 11.3 billion won of the total, with the rest being paid by such private firms as GS Caltex, SK Engineering and Construction and the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology.

``For example, the money would be spent to commercially use natural gas hydrates, which are easier to transport and safer to use than liquefied natural gas,’’ said a ministry spokesman.

Gas hydrates are a mixture of gas and water molecules found deep underwater, where cold temperatures and extreme pressure cause natural gas to condense into semi-solid form.

Global interest in full utilization of biomass and development of other alternative energy has deepened in recent years, as crude oil prices have skyrocketed to record levels and climate changes have been causing various problems around the world.

``South Korea needs to do much more in this area to keep pace with efforts by other industrialized countries in making next-generation fuel amid soaring crude oil prices,’’ the spokesman said.

If the first-stage project is successful, he said, the country will be able to build test-bed facilities for the production of biobutanol, natural gas hydrate and other clean energy by the end of 2010.

jinryu@koreatimes.co.kr

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