World’s First Biomass
GS Caltex, the nation's second largest oil refiner, will establish a demo plant producing biobutanol made with nonedible biomass, such as waste farm crops and waste wood, the first of its kind in the world.
The company held a groundbreaking ceremony of its biobutanol manufacturing plant at the second plant in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, on September 29. It is a demo site to test the feasibility of mass producing biobutanol.
GS Caltex has agreed to invest a total of 50 billion won (US$45.43 million) to build the demo plant that covers 15,000 square meters of land. The demo plant is expected to produce 400 tons of biobutanol annually, once construction is complete in the second half of 2017.
A demo plant is a pilot production facility to test whether or not mass producing commercial plants can secure the profitability before starting commercial production.
GS Caltex expects that it will raise the domestic biochemical industry to the world-class level when the biobutanol demo plant begin operation in earnest.