SK Ecoplant Achieves First, Most, and Best Records in Environmental Industry Just 3 Years After Entry

Operation of the Largest Number of Water Treatment Plants in Korea
Number One Market Share in Domestic General Incineration
First Application of AI Incinerator Solution in Korea

SK ecoplant has established itself as a leading environmental company in South Korea just three years after entering the environmental industry.

On the 22nd, SK ecoplant announced that the number of its domestic environmental subsidiaries increased from one in 2020 to 24 this year. Additionally, its business structure covers the entire environmental industry value chain, from downstream sectors such as incineration, landfill, and water treatment to high value-added upstream businesses including waste plastics, electronic and electrical waste, and waste batteries.

Operating the largest number of water treatment plants in the country, with 1,295 facilities (including consignment operations), SK ecoplant purified approximately 1.107 billion tons of sewage and wastewater over the past year. This volume surpasses the annual tap water usage of Seoul citizens (1.1095 billion tons as of 2021). In the general incineration sector, which processes about 351,495 tons of waste annually, SK ecoplant holds the top market share domestically. Including medical incineration capacity, the total annual incineration volume exceeds 400,000 tons.

SK ecoplant has also sought to advance the traditionally undesirable environmental industry by introducing new technologies such as AI and digital solutions. As a result, the AI solution applied for the first time in domestic incineration facilities reduced carbon monoxide emissions by 49.9% and nitrogen oxides by 12.9% during the incineration process. Energy production, including electricity and steam, increased by approximately 3.1%. These results are based on the analysis of 300 days of cumulative data after introducing five AI incinerators. The digital-based platform 'Wavle,' which efficiently manages the entire process from waste generation to collection, transportation, and treatment, was honored with the CES 2023 Innovation Award. Within one year of its launch, it secured 210 subscribing business sites.

SK ecoplant is also leading the realization of a circular economy through waste-to-energy and resource recovery. Waste heat from incineration plants is reused for power generation or converted into steam to supply nearby industrial complexes and facilities. Currently, the proportion of energy sales in incineration facility revenue has increased from the 20% range to over 30%.

K-Ecoba (G Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic), made from recycled PET bottles, is being applied as a rebar substitute at construction sites. The annual production volume is about 16,000 tons, and compared to conventional rebar, it offers higher strength and lighter weight. SK ecoplant plans to increase production capacity to 40,000 tons next year and 200,000 tons by 2027.

Park Kyung-il, President of SK ecoplant, stated, "It is encouraging that new demands, unseen in the traditional environmental industry, are increasing as SK ecoplant’s innovative technologies and solutions spread. Based on efforts to advance technology and industrial modernization, we will further strengthen the differentiated competitiveness of SK ecoplant’s environmental business."

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