CHARLESTON, West Virginia (WVDN) – Leaders of a South Korean advanced technology company met with economic development officials, university researchers, and state and federal representatives in the Mountain State to explore potential sites for a hydrogenation facility that would extract from forests, plants , and plastic waste.
John Kyung, founder and CEO of Plagen Co., Ltd., recently met with West Virginia Secretary of Commerce Mitch Carmichael, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and the staff of Shelley Moore Capito in Seoul, as well as local economic development officials from Kanawha, Monongalia and Jefferson counties. Up to 200 new jobs will be created for engineers and waste handlers.
Kyung said Plagen’s technology produces hydrogen from various wastes and is modeled after improved gasification technologies used in Austria, Germany and Sweden over the past 20 years. “As a private investment project, our new plant plans to produce 6.5 million liters of green methanol annually using forest wood waste and plastic waste,” Kyung said. “We will also run smart farms, using the waste heat from the plants.”
“The people of West Virginia have always welcomed and encouraged us. I look forward to continuing our dialogue and bringing together financial, economic and community priorities to make this project a reality,” said Plagen CEO.