Ahead of Metropolitan Landfill Ban... Cheonil Energy Leads the Circular Economy [C Series]

"What we throw away returns to the world in another form."
On the 13th, Park Sang-won, CEO of Cheonil Energy, stated, "Waste is not something to be eliminated, but a resource to be revived." He emphasized, "Believing that everything is energy, designing a circular order that returns discarded resources to society is the path to enhancing national infrastructure efficiency."
Cheonil Energy is the only company in Korea that directly operates the entire waste management process, including emission, transportation, collection, intermediate and final treatment, and resource recovery, offering a 'one-stop waste solution.' The company owns 15 factories, 7 hubs, and 6 collection and transport centers across the metropolitan and provincial regions. Last year, it recorded sales of 109.1 billion KRW and employed 429 staff. Processing 1,500 tons of waste wood daily and 500,000 tons annually, it is recognized as the nation’s largest producer of Bio-Solid Refused Fuel (Bio-SRF).
With a complete ban on direct landfill in the metropolitan area set for 2026, the waste industry is shifting from a landfill-centered to a circular-centered model. Park noted, "The future market will not be about who can process waste more cheaply, but about who can prove transparency." He added, "Cheonil Energy has already secured this structure."
At the core is the real-time waste flow tracking and management platform, 'Jiguhada.' Park explained, "All processes are recorded using more than 150 GPS terminals meeting Korea Environment Corporation (K-eco) standards, AI video recognition technology, and an ERP-based electronic consignment system." He added, "Local governments can check the status without separate reports, and companies can reduce both processing and administrative costs."
Waste is often called an 'urban mine.' The Bio-SRF produced by Cheonil Energy through shredding and drying waste wood is supplied as a heat source for boilers in industrial complexes and manufacturing plants, reducing fuel costs by over 40% compared to Bunker C oil. Waste synthetic resin is used as a heat source in cement kilns, while coffee grounds are recycled into biochar and circular resources, with efforts underway to register these for carbon credit projects.
The circular economy is also expanding in the public sector. Cheonil Energy collaborates with over 60 local governments nationwide to improve sorting and recycling systems for bulky household and construction waste. In Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi-do, after partnering with Cheonil Energy, the recycling rate rose from 41.0% in 2023 to 75.3% in 2024, and the city’s waste processing budget shifted from an annual expenditure of 220 million KRW to a net annual income of 10.58 million KRW.
Additionally, by acquiring factories and hubs through mergers and acquisitions, Cheonil Energy is building a nationwide circular network. Park commented, "This is not just about scaling up, but about creating a faster and more consistent system," and emphasized, "Operational excellence and depth of trust are our standards for growth."
Cheonil Energy considers 'people' the foundation of its competitiveness. Park stated, "Ultimately, companies must contribute to society by creating jobs," and added, "It is the company’s responsibility to foster pride and stable workplaces for field workers." To this end, Cheonil Energy is expanding standard safety management systems, worker training, and workplace improvement programs across all sites.
He stressed, "We aim to establish a structure where the waste industry is respected as a national infrastructure business, not just a simple processing sector," and added, "We will move toward a society where resources circulate and every process is transparently revealed through technology."

jimnn@fnnews.com Shin Ji-min Reporter