Civil Servants from 13 Developing Countries Visit Korea’s Energy-Related Infrastructure Sites.
The site visit was a part of the Korea University Global Energy Technology Policy Professionals Program.

Students enrolled in the Korea University Global Energy Technology Policy Professionals Program (KU-GETPPP) of the KU∙KIST Green School (Graduate School of Energy Environment Policy & Technology) completed a two-day site visit around energy-related infrastructure sites such as the Asan-si municipal solid waste treatment plant and Hyundai Oilbank’s Daesan plant in South Chungcheong Province, from March 29th (Wed.) to 30th (Thu.).   

KU-GETPPP is a Master- and Ph.D degree program offered to public service and government office employees in the energy industry from developing countries that import energy. There are currently 16 civil servants and public electric power company employees from 13 countries in the program, which is funded by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE). This site visit was organized to better understand the treatment of fossil fuel and waste energy by visiting an oil refinery and waste treatment facility, allowing the participants to observe the actual operation of the infrastructure onsite.  

On the first day of the program, students vis

ited the Asan-si municipal solid waste treatment plant and observed the treatment process from waste collection, combustion and cooling of the heat from the combustion to pollution prevention and odor control. They also surveyed the waste collection area, control room and green space in the vicinity. Asan-si’s facility has been recognized numerous times for the optimal operation of its waste combustion facility.

The concept of creating public amenities and parks around a waste treatment facility, often considered as undesirable land use, to reduce resistance from locals and generating revenue from heat energy obtained from waste combustion, intrigued the students. 

 “Waste volume is increasing rapidly as developing countries grow. Korea’s model of recognizing waste as resource and utilizing it as actual heating and cooling energy source has implications for developing countries.” says Mazhar Hayat, a Ph.D candidate from Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change.  
 

On the second day, students visited Korea’s first private oil company, Oilbank’s, Daesan plant, , and studied the production process from crude oil importation to petroleum shipment. Students toured around the actual production field and saw the refinery processing units and the petroleum storage facilities. The KU-GETPPP students showed great interest during their visit to one of the world’s leading oil refinery company. They were particularly impressed by the fully continuous and automated production process, equipped as it is with thorough systems in place to prevent fires and detect oil leaks.