Dongseo Power Generation to Commercialize Use of 'Baegi Pellets' Left After Mushroom Harvest as Power Generation Fuel

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] To revitalize the domestic new biofuel industry, a plan is being promoted to use mushroom substrate pellets, left over after mushroom harvesting, as fuel for power generation. Mushroom substrate pellets are plant residues such as sawdust and corn stalks used for growing mushrooms.

Through this project, mushroom farmers can stably dispose of waste mushroom substrate during the off-season while generating additional income by converting it into fuel for power generation, and companies are expected to create jobs by developing domestic biofuels.

On the 31st, Korea East-West Power announced that it signed a 'Mushroom Substrate Pellet Biofuel Commercialization Cooperation Agreement' with the Korea Mushroom Producers Association, BK ENG Co., Ltd., and Jin Enetek Co., Ltd.

According to the agreement, East-West Power plans to use the produced mushroom substrate pellet biofuel as fuel for power generation. The Mushroom Producers Association will strive to ensure smooth supply of mushroom substrate from farms to participating companies.

BK ENG and Jin Enetek, producers of mushroom substrate pellet biofuel, will cooperate to produce economically viable mushroom substrate pellet biofuel and supply it stably.

Wood pellets emerging as a clean energy raw material.

Currently, most wood pellets, the main fuel for bioenergy co-firing power generation, are imported.

East-West Power is introducing the concept of 'up-cycling,' which draws out the potential value of resources that would otherwise be discarded, into the energy business and is working on developing domestic bioenergy fuels.

Among them, mushroom substrate pellet biofuel has superior potential quantity and calorific value compared to existing biofuels, making it a representative case of East-West Power's up-cycling project.

In May last year, East-West Power signed a development agreement for mushroom substrate pellet biofuel with agricultural cooperatives and participating companies. In December of the same year, a combustion test was successfully conducted at the Dangjin Thermal Power Plant, confirming its potential as a biofuel.

An East-West Power official said, "We will establish dedicated production facilities for mushroom substrate pellet biofuel to secure fuel stably," adding, "We will continuously discover new suppliers and promote the case to other power plants to revitalize the domestic biofuel industry."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.