[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] Asphalt and ready-mixed concrete manufacturer SG announced on the 2nd that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Korea Asphalt Industry Cooperative Federation for the ‘Development Project of Suitable Air Pollutant Prevention Technology for the Asphalt Industry.’
This agreement is a mutual business cooperation aimed at distributing eco-friendly facilities to asphalt plants nationwide to protect the health of residents living near asphalt factories. The Asphalt Federation expects this agreement to foster coexistence with residents regarding environmental issues in the asphalt industry.
Through this agreement, SG plans to continuously promote technology development by installing eco-friendly asphalt facilities (EGR+) at 533 asphalt plants nationwide that are members of the Asphalt Federation.
EGR+ (Exhaust Gas Recycling) demonstrated a reduction effect of over 98% in the emission of first-class carcinogens (▲benzo(a)pyrene ▲benzene ▲formaldehyde ▲acetaldehyde, etc.) according to air pollutant tests conducted by an environmental certification agency. It is the only eco-friendly facility in Korea that perfectly meets the emission standards for designated air pollutants announced by the Ministry of Environment.
Asphalt, a major material for road paving, emits first-class carcinogens during production. Consequently, there have long been continuous reports of damage cases such as residents living near factories being diagnosed with group cancers or suffering from unexplained respiratory diseases.
Since the Ministry of Environment strengthened the emission standards for designated air pollutants in January last year, it has issued cancellation orders for permits to asphalt plants exceeding the emission limits. As a result, all asphalt plants nationwide were required to install pollutant reduction facilities. SG developed EGR+, the first domestic technology capable of reducing first-class carcinogens and other designated air pollutants generated from asphalt plants to below the standard levels.
An SG official stated, “Currently, about 800 plants are operating in asphalt factories nationwide, and the market size for eco-friendly facilities related to this is approximately 360 billion KRW. We plan to complete the distribution of EGR+ to domestic asphalt companies by 2023 and actively enter the global market, starting with China and the United States, where patents are currently being filed.”
Meanwhile, SG was selected last September for the government’s ‘Ceiling Air Green New Business Environmental Facility Commercialization’ support project, led by the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute as part of the government’s Green New Deal policy. The policy task is scheduled to be completed by September.
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