Taebaek to get 10,000-ton clean methanol plant

In South Korea, Plagen and Taebaek City signed an agreement to build a 10,000-ton-per-year clean methanol production facility, set to begin operation in 2027. Taebaek will leverage its abundant forestry byproducts and renewable energy infrastructure to secure raw material supply. Plagen CEO Kyung Kook-hyun said, “Taebaek is the optimal location for clean methanol production and will contribute 20% of South Korea’s national production target.”

A feasibility study is underway for a 22,000-ton-per-year clean methanol plant at Taebaek’s Jangseong Mine site. The project also includes plans to develop a 100,000-ton clean methanol industrial complex, though its construction depends on government support and additional funding.

Once a key anthracite coal hub, Taebaek has suffered rapid population decline since the coal industry’s collapse. According to Statistics Korea, the city’s population fell from 120,000 to 38,702 over the past 20 years. Taebaek Mayor Lee Sang-ho stated, “As the coal industry fades, the risk of urban decline is increasing. This clean methanol plant is an opportunity to open the next 10 years for Taebaek.”

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