The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) sponsored the Korea Biofuels Forum’s annual conference in Gangnam, South Korea earlier this month to emphasize coming opportunities in the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) sector and how alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) technology can better meet future demand when compared to production via hydrotreated esters and fatty acids (HEFA).
USGC SAF Global Policy Consultant Mark Ingebretson (left) and USGC Director in Korea Haksoo Kim (right) attended the forum on May 16 to show support to the South Korean biofuels industry and share how U.S. producers can be effective partners in the international community’s carbon reduction ambitions.
Ingebretson was one of seven speakers who touched on a range of topics including U.S. SAF policy updates, technology developments and marine fuel possibilities.
The event drew 190 participants from the South Korean government ministries, research institutes and the biofuel and oil refining industries.
Following the conference, Ingebretson and Kim met with GS Caltex and S-Oil, two major oil refiners in South Korea, that are working to produce SAF in the coming years. The Council is advocating that refiners choose ATJ processing due to concerns about raw material shortages as HEFA production scales to meet SAF demand.
Recent policy changes have allowed South Korean refineries to produce additional forms of biofuel such as SAF and renewable diesel, and the Council is eager to expand cooperative programming between its domestic producers and U.S. ATJ technology developers and corn exporters.
Read more about the Council’s work in South Korea here.
About The U.S. Grains Council
The U.S. Grains Council develops export markets for U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products including distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and ethanol. With full-time presence in 28 locations, the Council operates programs in more than 50 countries and the European Union. The Council believes exports are vital to global economic development and to U.S. agriculture’s profitability. Detailed information about the Council and its programs is online at www.grains.org.