Minister Kim Seong-hwan requested on the 5th that the SUDOKWON Landfill Site Management Corporation (SLC) quickly prepare a plan to utilize the landfill for the expansion of renewable energy and for coexistence with local residents.
On the same day, Minister Kim inspected a site producing renewable energy at the SUDOKWON Landfill in Seo-gu, Incheon, and said, "Please integrate environmental technology with the operational know-how of the SUDOKWON Landfill Site Management Corporation (SLC) to enhance the value of the landfill space."
The SUDOKWON Landfill was established in Seo-gu, Incheon, as an alternative facility to address issues at the Nanjido landfill in the 1980s, starting operations at the first landfill in 1992 and currently using the third landfill.
A notable bioenergy production facility in the SUDOKWON Landfill is a 50 MW (megawatt) power plant linked with landfill gas collection facilities. The plant collects landfill gas generated during the waste decomposition process to operate and prevent odors, generating an average revenue of about 24 billion won per year over the past five years.
Separately, a large-scale organic waste biogas facility produces biogas using public food waste. The biogas is used as an alternative energy source to liquefied natural gas (LNG) necessary for operating an adjacent sewage sludge resource recovery facility. It is known to save about 4.6 billion won on average per year.
Currently, the second landfill has been closed, and construction of the final cover is scheduled to begin in the second half of the year, with completion expected in 2028. Minister Kim emphasized, "The upper space of the second landfill has high value in terms of location and usability," and urged to seek land utilization ideas to renovate it into a new space.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment is conducting a public announcement to find an alternative landfill in the metropolitan area through consultations with Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi. The announcement is ongoing until October 10.