Scheduled International Concrete Sustainability Conference speakers include Hank Keiper of the SEFA Group, who will present “The Future of Fly Ash is Under Our Feet,” during the May 12-14 event in Boston. He will discuss the dwindling availability of coal fly ash suitable for use as supplementary cementitious material in the U.S. due to environmental regulations and market factors. To ensure a future supply of high-quality, Class F fly ash, SEFA Group has modified its proprietary thermal beneficiation process to accept fly ash reclaimed from disposal sites, including both landfills and settling ponds. The adaptation of a proven technology will create a consistent supply of premium fly ash, prevent future disposal of material initially below ASTM C618 grade, and offer existing site
remediation solutions.
SEFA Group is building a $40 million facility to recycle high-carbon fly ash using new recycling technology. The Georgetown, S.C., operation will consume 100 percent of the coal fly ash produced at Santee Cooper’s Winyah Electric Power Generating Station, while also recycling ash previously located in site ponds. The operation can recycle up to 400,000 tons of fly ash per year, SEFA Group using the output as a primary ingredient in its proprietary STAR (Staged Turbulent Air Reactor) process to produce a pure pozzolan, free of organic contaminants. The producer has other STAR plants in Columbia, S.C., and Newburg, Md., using only new ash for raw feed; the Georgetown operation will be the first to recycle material from settling basins.