Chungnam Launches Carbon Reduction Construction Material Regulatory Free Zone Project

[Asia Economy (Hongseong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Chungnam Province is set to fully launch its carbon reduction construction material regulatory free zone project.

On the 21st, the province announced that it will actively promote the regulatory free zone project, focusing on demonstrating the use of carbon dioxide and desulfurization gypsum generated during the refining process to produce and utilize eco-friendly cement and other construction materials.

The project will involve seven companies including Hyundai Oilbank, Woorong, SP S&A, Hanil Cement, SYC, Shinwoo Industrial Development, Hanil Eco Industry, as well as two institutions: the Korea Ceramic Technology Institute and the Korea Construction Living Environment Testing & Research Institute.

In the demonstration, Hyundai Oilbank will first take on the role of producing carbonates using carbon dioxide and desulfurization gypsum generated during the refining process.

Subsequently, companies such as Hanil Cement will use the carbonates produced by Hyundai Oilbank to create raw materials for slag powder, slag cement, floor mortar, lightweight concrete blocks, PC retaining walls, and concrete blocks, and will construct a 400㎡ building using cement blended with these materials.

Additionally, on-site demonstrations will be conducted in parallel, including the installation of 300㎡ of floor concrete pavement, 1.18 km of farm road concrete pavement, and 400㎡ of PC retaining walls.

For the demonstration, each company has been working on establishing the necessary facilities, producing samples, evaluating carbonate physical properties and developing mix ratios, assessing basic characteristics of construction materials, and designing process equipment. This year, they plan to proceed with actual product development and evaluation, production testing, completion of equipment design, and commencement of construction.

Starting next year, the process will move forward with product testing and certification, design and construction of demonstration buildings and farm roads, and evaluation of actual applied construction materials, thereby establishing a sustainable system.

The province expects that once the demonstration leads to actual commercialization, it will result in an annual reduction of 343,000 tons of carbon dioxide through carbonate production input.

Furthermore, the province anticipates that companies will gain practical benefits such as high value-added utilization of desulfurization gypsum, securing product price competitiveness through simplified distribution stages, cost competitiveness and eco-friendly image acquisition, and proactive raw material supply response.

Yang Seung-jo, Governor of Chungnam Province, explained, “Chungnam has the highest greenhouse gas emissions nationwide due to the concentration of energy-consuming industries such as petrochemicals, steel, displays, and automobiles, as well as 29 out of the country’s total 57 coal-fired power plants.”

He added, “However, with the regulatory free zone project enabling the conversion of carbon dioxide and desulfurization gypsum into carbonates to be used as construction materials like cement, the timeline for achieving carbon neutrality in Chungnam will accelerate accordingly. The province will make every effort to ensure this project becomes a leading model for carbon neutrality in South Korea.”

Meanwhile, under the current Waste Management Act, carbonate manufacturing facilities must be permitted or reported as waste treatment facilities, and carbonate recycling is restricted to waste recycling operators only. Additionally, recycling carbonates as construction materials is not allowed.

However, Chungnam was designated as a regulatory free zone in July last year, receiving special exemptions from carbonate regulations under the Waste Management Act.

The designated free zone area covers 2.421㎢ across six cities and counties: Cheonan, Gongju, Asan, Seosan, Dangjin, and Taean, along with a 1.18 km farm road.