South Korea will significantly expand the use of livestock waste as a solid fuel for power generation by 2030, aiming to boost renewable energy supply, curb greenhouse gas emissions and reduce environmental burdens such as odour from farms, the agriculture ministry said on Monday.
Livestock waste has long been treated primarily as a disposal problem in the country, limiting the development of markets and demand despite its potential as a bioenergy source.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it has finalised a comprehensive plan to promote livestock manure-based solid fuel after successful test burns at large power plants in 2024 and 2025 demonstrated the fuel’s industrial viability.
The new plan seeks to change that by supporting production, demand and infrastructure in tandem, the ministry added.
Under the programme, the country aims to convert up to 1.18 million tonnes of livestock waste annually into solid fuel by 2030, generating enough renewable electricity to power about 38,000 households each year and cutting roughly 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions – comparable to taking 360,000 cars off the road.
To improve fuel quality, the government will support faster manure collection and better on-farm management. Participating farms will receive bedding materials such as rice husks to reduce moisture and odour, while manure will be collected within three months, compared with the current average of around eight months.
Farmers’ efforts will be rewarded through low-carbon incentive programmes based on verified emissions reductions from faster collection and reduced composting, the ministry said.
“Livestock waste solid fuel is a practical alternative that can reduce environmental impacts while replacing coal and cutting emissions,” the ministry said in a statement. “We will focus on improving economic viability and on-the-ground applicability to build a sustainable, localised resource recycling system.”
The plan also targets better use of combustion by-products. Ash generated from burning the solid fuel has been difficult to use industrially, but regulatory changes will allow it to be recycled as fertiliser material. The government will also pursue commercial-scale extraction of phosphorus from ash, a process already used in Japan to create additional revenue and reduce reliance on imported phosphorus.
In parallel, South Korea will explore energy use for higher-moisture livestock waste. Current standards require moisture content below 20 per cent, raising costs and limiting participation. Demonstration tests using waste with moisture below 50 per cent are planned for 2026 to assess domestic feasibility, alongside upgrades at large power plants to secure demand for up to 1 million tonnes annually.
Commercial power generation using solid fuel produced at facilities in the cities of Suncheon and Gimje will begin this year, with usage expanding to 660,000 tonnes by 2029 and 1 million tonnes by 2030, according to the ministry. More power units will be adapted to burn the fuel, with the number of participating generators set to rise steadily through 2028.
The government also plans to promote dedicated livestock waste-to-energy facilities for agricultural operations such as greenhouses, feed mills and meat processors, citing significant cost savings compared with liquefied petroleum gas or electric boilers.
Production capacity will be expanded to 25 solid fuel facilities nationwide by 2030, supported by higher state subsidies and revised installation support. Standardised production processes are also being developed to lower costs and emissions by using the solid fuel itself as a heat source during manufacturing.
South Korea’s move mirrors a broader regional and global push to turn agricultural waste into energy as governments seek to decarbonise power systems while addressing rural pollution.
Japan has long used livestock manure and other biomass fuels in power generation, with several plants extracting phosphorus from combustion ash for fertiliser use, reducing reliance on imported raw materials.
In the European Union, countries such as Germany and Denmark have scaled up biogas and solid biomass from farm waste under renewable energy targets, while China has expanded biomass power capacity as part of its rural revitalisation and waste reduction policies.
According to the International Energy Agency, bioenergy already accounts for nearly half of renewable energy consumption worldwide, driven largely by the use of agricultural and organic waste.
