Koreans are learning about the potential for #ethanol use as a fuel. A U.S. delegation that included the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), Growth Energy and USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, held a workshop in Seoul, Korea to give an outlook on global ethanol supply and demand. The group also shared information about past experiences with ethanol policy. The workshop served as a forum for discussion about opportunities of using ethanol in their fuel supply.

Today Korea only uses ethanol for industrial, not fuel, purposes, and the audience at the event had little background with blending. The country consumes about 3 billion gallons of gasoline per year, more than any market in Asia other than China, India and Japan.

“With more than 60 representatives from Korea’s energy industry in attendance, we laid the groundwork to create a favorable atmosphere for the introduction of bioethanol in Korea in the future,” said USGC Director in Korea Haksoo Kim, who participated in the conference. “While this workshop was just step one, the engaged questions and interested audience suggest we are making a difference.”

Following the workshop, the group held meetings with Korea’s energy association, K-Petro, and the largest non-fuel ethanol company in Korea, Changhae Ethanol, to discuss experiences and technologies from the U.S. fuel ethanol industry.

“Based on the feedback we received from this activity, we believe that the energy industry in Korea wants to cooperate with us to learn more about fuel ethanol and possibly develop Korea’s fuel ethanol industry in the future,” Kim said. “To build on our success from this workshop, we will work on developing a follow-up program for late this year or early next year.”