Experts urge Korea to adopt bioethanol in transport sector

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

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Wed, December 6, 2023 | 19:02

Experts urge Korea to adopt bioethanol in transport sector

Posted : 2023-07-11 15:04

Updated : 2023-07-11 15:04

This photo, provided by the Korea Automobile Journalists Association, shows Ryan LeGrand, president and CEO of the U.S. Grains Council, delivering a speech during the 2023 International Eco-Friendly Fuels Symposium held at Four Seasons Hotel at Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

U.S. experts on Tuesday called on the Korean government to adopt bioethanol, a renewable fuel, in the transportation sector to help achieve its carbon reduction goals by 2050.

Officials from the U.S. Embassy in Seoul and the U.S. Grains Council said bioethanol is an attractive alternative to traditional fossil fuels in terms of costs and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

"Biofuels have become a proven tool for addressing the challenges of climate change around the world and are widely recognized as a key component for helping stabilize and diversify global energy supply chains," Mark Dries, the agricultural minister-counselor of the U.S. Embassy Seoul, said at the 2023 International Eco-Friendly Fuels Symposium in Seoul.

Bioethanol, which can be produced from a variety of biomass feedstocks, has significant carbon reduction potential, said Ryan LeGrand, president and CEO of the U.S. Grains Council.

"When used as a transportation fuel, it emits over 50 percent fewer greenhouse gases compared to conventional gasoline, and that advantage is growing as our bioethanol plants continue to adopt new technologies to help them reduce their carbon intensity score even further," LeGrand said.

This photo, provided by the Korea Automobile Journalists Association, shows Mark Dries, ninth from right, agricultural minister-counselor of the U.S. Embassy Seoul, and other experts who participated in the 2023 International Eco-Friendly Fuels Symposium held at Four Seasons Hotel at Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Carbon intensity refers to the amount of CO2 emitted per unit of economic output or activity.

He went on to say that incorporating bioethanol into Korea's fuel mix can significantly reduce its carbon footprint and contribute to global efforts to mitigate climate change.

Biodiesel is currently being used in diesel-powered vehicles in Korea, but bioethanol has yet to arrive here as an alternative fuel for gasoline cars.

The proportion of biodiesel in SUVs sold in Korea is expected to rise to 8 percent in 2030 from the current 3.5 percent.

Some 60 countries, including the United States, the European Union, Brazil and Canada, have adopted bioethanol as an alternative fuel, with 47 of them adopting bioethanol and biodiesel together.

Bioethanol is no longer a renewable energy that runs against the refining industry. Refiners need to have an interest in seeking carbon neutrality, and environmental, social and governance-based management in response to rapidly changing market conditions, Kim Jae-kyung, a research fellow at the oil policy research team of Korea Energy Economics Institute, said.

In that regard, LeGrand welcomed Korea's pilot program, announced in October last year, for introducing ethanol blending on a small-scale "test" basis in 2024-25.

"Introducing fuel ethanol into (Korea's) transportation sector as a more climate-friendly option for the remaining internal combustion engines is an important stepping stone (for carbon neutrality)," Dries said.

Given that all-electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles require fossil fuels for their manufacturing processes, the U.S. officials asked the Seoul government, industry leaders and researchers to further explore the possibilities of bioethanol and accelerate its adoption. (Yonhap)