DL E&C Seeks Eco-Friendly Future Growth Through Hydrogen Energy and Carbon Dioxide Capture Projects

Daesan Power Biomass Energy Facility.

Strengthening New Business Capabilities in Line with Carbon Neutrality

Accelerated CCS Technology Development Over 10 Years Ago

Launching Korea's First Carbon Negative Plant in August

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Min-young] DL E&C's key theme for next-generation construction, alongside advanced technology, is eco-friendliness. The company aims to expand its eco-friendly business in step with the global carbon neutrality trend and secure future growth engines. To this end, DL E&C is actively entering the hydrogen energy and carbon capture and storage (CCS) sectors.

DL E&C prides itself on possessing top-tier technology in the construction of natural gas and petrochemical plants domestically. With experience in designing and constructing reforming and by-product hydrogen production plants both at home and abroad, the company plans to explore various business opportunities as investments in hydrogen production and storage facilities expand significantly worldwide.

DL E&C has been committed to developing CCS technology for over a decade. It participated in both phases 1 and 2 of the national CCS research project led by the Korea Electric Power Research Institute, performing basic design for carbon dioxide capture plants, and currently holds the capability to design plants that can capture 3,000 tons of carbon dioxide per day.

Building on this, DL E&C decided in August to proceed with Korea's first carbon negative plant construction project. The company received a letter of intent for the carbon capture and utilization plant construction contract from Daesin Power and is preparing to finalize the contract. This project involves constructing a plant for carbon capture and utilization at the biomass energy facility operated by Daesan Power, located in Daesan-eup, Seosan-si, Chungnam Province.

DL E&C and Daesan Power plan to install a 'BECCU facility' that captures and utilizes carbon from biomass exhaust gases, aiming to achieve Korea's first carbon negative status by making net carbon dioxide emissions negative. This plant will be capable of capturing 146,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually. Subsequently, through compression and purification processes, it will produce liquid carbon dioxide with 99.9% purity, which will be supplied to domestic carbon dioxide demand sectors such as semiconductor cleaning agents, fire extinguishers, medical supplies, welding materials, and dry ice. Basic design will commence in the fourth quarter of this year, with completion scheduled for the first half of 2023.

This project will be carried out entirely with DL E&C's own technology, from the basic design of the decarbonized plant to performance guarantees. Based on this, the company plans to solidify its position as a total solution provider for carbon capture and utilization processes, which are emerging as eco-friendly future businesses.

DL E&C is also seeking opportunities in the water treatment business. The company secured the underground and modernization project of the Seonam Water Reclamation Center, the largest sewage treatment facility in Korea with a daily capacity of 1.63 million tons, in 2009 and is currently progressing with the project. This involves demolishing the existing above-ground sewage treatment facilities and constructing new facilities underground using the latest advanced treatment technologies. The company is actively considering developer business models that not only cover design and construction but also directly operate and manage water treatment facilities through business proposals.