Icheon City in Gyeonggi Province is set to begin full-scale design of its new Integrated Biogas Facility next year after the National Assembly finalized a 300 million won budget allocation on December 9, initiating a project backed by over 61.7 billion won in total national funding.
Key Takeaways:
- Major Funding: The city has secured a total of 61.7 billion won in state funding to support the facility’s development.
- Capacity & Feedstock: The plant is designed with a capacity of 180 tons per day, processing sewage sludge, food waste, and livestock manure.
- Strategic Design: To minimize odor impact and community opposition, the entire facility will be constructed underground at the Janghowon Sewage Treatment Plant site.
- Timeline: Design work commences next year, following two years of preliminary planning.
Modernizing Waste-to-Energy Infrastructure This development marks the culmination of over two years of planning by Icheon City to modernize its organic waste management. The Integrated Biogas Facility represents a shift toward co-digestion, where multiple organic waste streams—specifically sewage sludge, food scraps, and animal manure—are processed collectively to maximize methane yield and operational efficiency. The decision to secure the initial 300 million won for design costs in the national budget signals strong central government support for decentralized bioenergy solutions.
Leadership Commentary: Local leadership emphasized the strategic effort required to secure the large-scale funding necessary for this infrastructure.
“Securing this design budget is the result of persistent efforts and thorough preparation over a long period,” stated Kim Kyunghee, Mayor of Icheon. “We will build a resident-friendly facility that citizens can truly appreciate.”
Bioenergy Business Analysis: For the biogas sector, Icheon’s project underscores two critical market trends: the move toward co-digestion to improve plant economics and the increasing necessity of subsurface construction in urban planning. By placing the facility underground at an existing sewage treatment site (Janghowon), Icheon is effectively bypassing the “NIMBY” (Not In My Backyard) hurdles that frequently stall bioenergy projects. The significant capital allocation (61.7 billion won) suggests a high projected CAPEX, likely driven by the specialized engineering required for underground containment and odor control systems.
