South Korean startup to make green hydrogen and methanol from waste

Leaders of a South Korean advanced technology company are in the state of West Virginia to meet with economic development officials, university researchers, and state and federal representatives to discuss potential sites for a hydrogen gasification facility that would produce green energy from forest, plant, and plastic waste.

John Kyung, founder and chief executive officer of Plagen Co., Ltd. in Seoul, recently met with Mitch Carmichael, secretary of the West Virginia Department of Commerce, staff from U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito, and local economic development officials from Kanawha, Monongahela, and Jefferson counties. There could be as many as 200 new employment created for engineers and rubbish haulers.

Kyung stated that the Plagen technology generates hydrogen from diverse wastes and is based on a modified gasification technique that has been utilized in Austria, Germany, and Sweden for the previous two decades.

 “Our new facility plans to produce 6.5 million liters per year of green methanol using forest wood waste and plastic wastes as a private investment project,” said Kyung. “We would also run smart farms, utilizing the residual heat from the plants.”

The Plagen CEO said, “The people of West Virginia have been welcoming and encouraging. I look forward to continuing our conversations and putting together the financial, economic and community priorities to make this project a reality.”