March 15, 2007

South Korea turns to pig waste for electric power
 

South Korea has fired up a power plant that turns animal waste into electricity as a part of Seoul's plan to develop eco-friendly, reusable energy, the government said on Wednesday.

The plant is capable of burning about 20 tonnes of animal excrement a day generated by some 2,500 pigs to produce 30 kilowatts (kW) of electricity, which is enough to power about 100 households.

The Ministry of Energy said it will cap any harmful emissions from the plant located southeast of Seoul that will serve as a model to generate power from the 51 million tonnes of animal waste produced in the country every year.

On a national level, South Korea could eventually create the energy equivalent of 360,000 tonnes of oil a year from using animal waste, the ministry said.

Ministry official Choi Byoeng-dal said the country plans to build three more co-generation power plants this year and even 20 new facilities in 2008.

European countries such as Denmark and Germany have been successful in generating power from farm animal excrement, he said.