As a way to combat environmental degradation caused by rapid industrialization and economic development and also to find out a way to better prepare for the looming high energy price era, a new method of paving was developed.  It is called "Low Energy and Low Carbon Asphalt Pavements (LEADCAP)" and it is expected to bring about a number of benefits, including reduction of carbon emissions and traffic jam, when actively pursued.

So far, roads in Korea were built using hot mix asphalt (HMA) created at high temperatures between 160 and 170 degrees Celsius.  However, this method was with a few drawbacks, such as excessive fuel consumption in its production process, and emission of noxious gases like carbon dioxide, sulfur oxide, and carbon monoxide.  For all these reasons, HMA has been frowned upon for both its economic and environmental shortcomings.

The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs of Korea decided to improve the status quo by starting a research project participated by pavement expert groups in Korea, including the Korea Institute of Construction Technology and the Korea Road Association.  The project was entitled, "The Research on Improving the Functions of Pavements", which led to the establishment of "Provisional Guidelines on Production and Construction of LEADCAP."  Various experiments were conducted, including a trial run of paving on national highways, and "The Measures to Promote LEADCAP" were formulated as a result.  The Ministry had the Measures applied to all asphalt paved roads nationwide.

LEADCAP maintains the same quality as that of HMA, while the temperature required during its production process is significantly lower by 30 degrees or more to be at around 130 to 140 degrees Celsius.  The most prominent benefit of this is that the fuel consumption of HMA in its production-approximately 220 million liters of Bunker C-is reduced by 35% or 77 million liters.

HMA emits around 660,000 tons of carbon dioxide when produced, while LEADCAP reduces the amount by 230,000 tons (carbon emission permits worth KRW 4.4 billion), which is equivalent to the effect of planting 66 million pine trees.  Also, LEADCAP shortens the time required for construction, so it reduces the wasted time caused due to road maintenance operations by 25%, leading to a socioeconomic cost saving of approximately KRW 3.5 billion annually, calculated based on Korea's national highways alone.

The Ministry expects that by promoting LEADCAP that significantly helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions of the road sector, it will be able to position Korea strategically well in the era of green transportation.  It is expected that LEADCAP will help the country combat climate change, reduce complaints of drivers and residents filed on account of frequent road maintenances, and alleviate air pollution.

Starting from the promotion of LEADCAP, the Ministry's initiative to promote low carbon green growth will see other measures follow suit, such as bicycle roads, low-noise asphalt pavements, and recycled pavements.  These policies will all be pursued with an environment-friendly perspective in mind.  The Ministry reaffirmed its determination to continuously strive to build eco-friendly green roads in Korea.