Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Pilot plant tests by the UK Quality Ash Association (UKQAA) have demonstrated that Coal Derived Fly Ash (CDFA), can be processed to meet UK and European standards for use in cement and concrete.
Fly ash, found across the country in huge legacy stockpiles created by decades of electricity generation at power stations, with pozzolanic properties, can be used as a key ingredient in low carbon cements as well as a direct addition for the production of ready mixed concrete.
The UKQAA has worked with Coventry-based Atritor and a Titan-owned US-based company – ST Equipment & Technology (STET) – to make use of its respective pilot plants to demonstrate the processing of legacy stockpiles of CDFA. The Atritor pilot plant was used to simultaneously dry and deagglomerate (make finer) stockpiles of CDFA and this was then fed into STET’s pilot plant to remove the unburned coal.
UKQAA director Dr Nigel Cooke said: “Following significant investment in testing, we’re now in a position to demonstrate to the government that we have solutions which fit in with its ambitions for a low carbon economy. These new projects will create high quality jobs and offer careers in a business that was considered to be obsolete. The UK can lead the world in unlocking the benefits of legacy stockpiles of CDFA.
“It’s exciting to see these two huge projects underway, because they illustrate the acceptance of fly ash development in the UK. For many years we’ve talked about the potential of fly ash, but now we’re seeing things coming to fruition. Construction companies and civil engineers are able to see that this is becoming a reality and can now plan projects around it.”
