Environment ministry eases rules for livestock manure solid fuel

The climate energy and environment ministry relaxed regulations governing the production of solid fuel made from livestock manure. The revised rules lower the minimum calorific value standard for fuel produced exclusively from manure and permit the mixing of auxiliary raw materials.

Under the new guidelines, the low heating value requirement for solid fuel made solely from livestock manure drops from 3,000 kilocalories per kilogram to 2,000 kilocalories per kilogram.

Producers may now blend auxiliary materials such as crop byproducts, coffee grounds, sawdust and herbaceous plants into the fuel, provided these additives account for less than 40 percent of the total mixture. Eligible byproducts include bean stalks, corn stalks, rice husks and certain types of waste wood generated by public infrastructure projects.

The regulation enables the production of non-molded solid fuel forms, contingent on operators implementing specific safety measures. Facilities producing these fuels must submit detailed installation and operation plans, along with strategies for securing usage sites, when applying for business permits.

Operators seeking to change the total mixing ratio of auxiliary materials must obtain a modified permit. Producers must store finished fuel in facilities that maintain quality standards before shipment and take necessary actions during transport.

Residual materials generated during the fuel production process must either be reused within the facility or treated according to existing waste management laws.

The amended Enforcement Rules of the Act on the Management and Utilization of Livestock Manure take effect immediately upon promulgation.