KOMIPO(Korea Midland Power Co.) to expand unused forest biomass in Korea to energy sources for central power generation

KOMIPO(Korea Midland Power Co.) to expand unused forest biomass in Korea to energy sources for central power generation

<CEO of KOMIPO>

KOMIPO will use more domestic logging products as energy sources to help boost renewable energy.

KOMIPO announced on the 14th that it will expand the use of unused forest biomass in Korea in order to create jobs and revitalize forest resources in Korea.

Unused forest biomass includes by-products that are difficult to use, by-products from forest cultivation, and products from the process of controlling forest diseases and pests.

KOMIPO has decided to use 70,000 tons of unused forest biomass wood compression materials a year from 2020.

The company also plans to gradually expand its use in line with the increase in the production of unused forest biomass wood compression materials in Korea.

"Unused forest biomass has been left unattended in the forest land due to difficulties in collecting it, but we can use these unused biomass as energy sources to efficiently use forest resources," said Park Hyung-koo, president of KOMIPO  "With the resourceization of unused forest biomass, owners who bought forest biomass can generate profits and reduce social costs by preventing forest fires."

"We will continue to discover various biomass based on forest and waste resources in Korea, foster domestic industries and create jobs, and fulfill our social responsibilities and roles as a public corporation," said CEO Park.

Trees, the raw material of unused forest biomass, are recognized not only in Korea but also internationally as a renewable energy source as they grow, absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) through photosynthesis and release a certain amount of carbon dioxide again.

Since the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy implemented the RPS (Renewable Energy Supply System) system, power generation companies, including KOMIPO, have used coal and wood compression materials to fill the burden of supplying renewable energy.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is increasing the weight of the certificate of supply to unused forest biomass and expanding the amount of settlement under the REC (Renewable Energy Supply Certificate) for the novel mix of coal and wood compression materials.

Since 2013, KOMIPO has been using wood compression materials for coal-mixed combustion at its Boryeong Power Headquarters.

The third power plant at Boryeong Power Station will use 27,000 tons of unused forest biomass for hybrid use by the end of 2019. To that end, it signed a purchase contract with a domestic non-use forest biomass supplier and began using it in earnest on the 12th. [Business Post Reporter Kim Soo-yeon]