Sources: Eco Material Technologies Inc., South Jordan, Utah; CP staff
Eco Material Technologies has outlined an agreement with Georgia Power to harvest nearly 10 million tons of landfilled ash from Plant Bowen—one of the largest coal-fired power generating stations in North America. The successor to Boral Resources and Green Cement will build a facility at the Cartersville, Ga. site to treat and process upward of 600,000 tons/year of material meeting ASTM C618 characteristics. The agreement provides for Eco Material to potentially add a second facility, bringing annual concrete-grade ash output north of 1 million tons.
“As the largest partnership of its kind in the U.S., this project will not only use material from landfills and ash ponds, but also keep millions of tons of carbon dioxide from going into the atmosphere,” says Eco Material CEO Grant Quasha. “The harvested material will serve as a model for helping forward thinking utilities like Georgia Power and [parent] Southern Company close landfills and ash ponds, while building a greener and more sustainable planet.”
“This project at Plant Bowen is historic for our company, and our entire industry,” adds Georgia Power Vice President of Environmental Affairs Aaron Mitchell. “Georgia Power is always researching and exploring new and innovative ways to reuse coal ash that are beneficial to our customers and communities. Finding and securing these opportunities will not only reduce and save space in landfills, but also serve as a financial tool to help offset the cost of ash pond closures for our customers.”
“As concrete producers continue to work to achieve carbon neutrality, and power companies seek modern and innovative solutions for beneficial use of coal ash, this voluntary project in Georgia is a model for the industry, directly responding to both market and environmental needs,” observes American Coal Ash Association Executive Director Tom Adams. “With the nationwide focus on improving American infrastructure including roads and bridges, demand for materials continues to outpace available supply, and collaborative projects such as this will be critical to bridging that gap in the future.”
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