Pocheon City Selected for 38.3 Billion Won National Subsidy Project to Install Cattle Manure Solid Fuel Facility

Pocheon City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Baek Younghyeon) announced on September 26 that its 38.3 billion won project to install a solid fuel facility for cattle manure has been selected as a Ministry of Environment national subsidy project for 2026.

Pocheon City Hall exterior. Provided by Pocheon City

The project will be funded with 80% from the national government and 20% from local government funds. For the first time in the country, a solid fuel production facility based on public livestock manure treatment will be established as part of a local government financial project.

Currently, approximately 645 tons of livestock manure from Korean beef, beef cattle, and dairy cows are generated daily within the city (as of 2024), most of which is composted and used on farmland. However, as farmland decreases, it has become increasingly difficult to process the manure, and complaints about odors from the composting process are rising, making it urgent to develop new resource utilization measures.

In response, the city commissioned a feasibility study for the installation of a solid fuel facility for cattle manure in December last year, and based on the results, applied for the Ministry of Environment’s national subsidy project. With the confirmation of a 38.3 billion won project budget as a 2026 Ministry of Environment national subsidy project, the city plans to begin full-scale implementation in 2026.

The project site is located at 712 Yeongsong-ri, Yeongjung-myeon, covering an area of approximately 16,000 square meters. The facility aims to begin full operations by 2030. It will process 130 tons of cattle manure per day to produce about 54 tons of solid fuel, which will be supplied to companies such as GS Pocheon Green Energy for use as fuel in power generation.

Meanwhile, on August 12, the government launched the Joint Task Force for the Promotion of Solid Fuel from Livestock Manure, led by the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and plans to announce measures to promote the initiative within the year. As such, this project aligns with the government’s policy direction to recycle livestock manure. Pocheon City expects that the project will help reduce environmental pollution and revitalize the local economy.

A local dairy farmer said, "With farmland continuously decreasing, we have faced difficulties in manure disposal and odor issues. Once the solid fuel facility is operational, we expect it will enable proper manure management and help reduce odors."

An official from the Livestock Division stated, "As this project represents a new shift from conventional livestock manure treatment to renewable energy, we will work closely with the Ministry of Environment and relevant specialized agencies to ensure its successful implementation."

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