Biomass to Fuel: The Case of South Korea

Abstract

In this report, we investigate the biofuel potential of South Korea and the implications of the introduction of biofuels for the Korean fuel market. Our biomass assessment suggests that (theoretically) biomass can be used to produce a significant portion of the fuel consumed annually in South Korea, with the most promising feedstock being forestry residues. And out of all the technologies considered, the production of cellulosic ethanol from forestry residues could potentially impact the fuel market the most. The key novelty of our study lies in that we consider a broad portfolio of biofuel technologies and carefully examine their potential economic and environmental implications for South Korea given its biomass availability (which we actually estimate). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to attempt this in the context of South Korea.