Analysis

Fly ash has a concrete future

Fly ash has long been a mainstay in the construction industry – it’s a versatile and readily available secondary resource, essential in modern, sustainable construction. As coal-fired power stations across the UK face closure, there are concerns about what the future may hold for the coal ash industry. Dr. Robert Carroll from the UK Quality Ash Association (UKQAA) explains that despite the changing energy landscape, there is a positive future for the users and producers of fly ash.

As the Government increases its support for an ambitious range of infrastructure programmes, the construction industry is rising to meet the challenge. The manufacture and supply of concrete in particular, one of the world’s most widely used construction materials, is set to rise dramatically. As a result, specifiers, architects and contractors are looking to the market to provide affordable, sustainable concrete products. 

"The closure of coal-fired power stations, as a result of emissions regulations, and fluctuations in the energy market related to fuel prices and weather, has concerned some about the future availability of fly ash." 

The closure of coal-fired power stations, as a result of emissions regulations, and fluctuations in the energy market related to fuel prices and weather, has concerned some about the future availability of fly ash. However, despite the headlines, the UKQAA is keen to remind the industry that the use of coal is far from over.

Despite rapid changes in the energy market in recent years, coal has been and will remain a major part of our energy mix well into the future. Coal-fired power stations still produce over a third of the UK’s energy needs and with up to 50M tonnes of fly ash already stockpiled, the potential supply of fly ash remains significant.

In the longer-term, a shifting energy market will bring change but it will also spur innovation in the industry. From the controlled co-combustion of coal and biomass to the development new low carbon technologies like carbon capture and storage (CCS), there is still a long life left in the UK coal-fired energy generation industry. Fly ash produced by co-combustion to EN 450, the European standard specifying fly ash for concrete,  has the same benefits as “pure coal ash”; while more efficient and cleaner CCS schemes like the White Rose project at Drax will also produce high quality fly ash.

In short – despite some closures, coal-fired power stations will continue to play a vital role in the UK’s energy mix for decades to come. It will be many years before new nuclear and large scale renewables projects take the lion’s share of generation in the UK and as new technologies are developed and exploited, energy generation from coal will become more efficient, cleaner and reliable. As a result, the future for fly ash as a construction material looks bright.

For more information on the UKQAA or how you can make use of fly ash and furnace bottom ash (FBA), please visit www.ukqaa.org.uk