ENERGY GLOBE
Republic of Korea

WINNER:
Bucheon city

With the Project:
Rebirth of Wasted Wind

The Yeokgok sewage treatment plant of Bucheon City has four deodorizers and wind turbines installed at the discharge opening of each deodorizer. These turbines are expected to generate 20,000 kWh of electricity a year, saving USD 2,000. The aim of the project is to save wind from energy-consuming sewage treatment facilities to generate electricity. This project presents a good example of overcoming existing stereotypes about sources of renewable energy and showing that a tiny amount of energy that is left unnoticed can be applied for a practical use.

INITIAL SITUATION

South Korea relies on imports to meet nearly 96% of its fossil fuel needs. To cope with the high price of oil, to implement the 2015 Paris Agreement and to achieve the UN sustainable development goals, greenhouse gas reduction and renewable energy became the nation's top national agenda. Sewage treatment and resource recycling systems also consume energy that needed to be tackled.

SOLUTION

Bucheon city broke a stereotype “A wind turbine uses natural wind” and invented a new idea based on that sewage treatment facilities generate obnoxious smells during the treatment process. The deodorizers used in Yeokgok collect sewage and eliminate smells using microorganism and chemicals, and produce clean wind 24 hours a day while generating electricity.

INNOVATION

The cost of generator installation for this project was about USD 9,000 and before installing all four units, one unit was installed for validation testing, which is currently underway. To do this, two technicians from the sewage treatment plant were assigned to conduct the tests including system configuration and physical composition modifications.