Holcim North America gears up Alberta ash harvesting project

Sources: Lafarge Canada Inc., Calgary; CP staff

Holcim North America and sister business Geocycle North America are overseeing a premier of beneficiation technology transforming landfilled coal combustion products to Class F fly ash. ECOAsh, the branded material from an Alberta site strategic to Lafarge Western Canada operations, marks the first ash harvesting for concrete end uses under the global Holcim Group banner. Holcim NA and Geocycle NA are processing ECOAsh with the Ponded Ash Beneficiation System from Florida-based Ash-TEK.

Initial ECOAsh deliveries from the Alberta processing site are scheduled for this quarter and will help stabilize Western Canada fly ash supplies disrupted by the retirement of key coal-fired power plants.

“The transformation of landfill materials into high-value fly ash for sustainable building presents an exciting opportunity to build more with less and work towards a net-zero future,” says Lafarge, Western Canada CEO Brad Kohl. “At Holcim, we are fully dedicated to meeting future market demands by harnessing and enhancing extensive fly ash reserves secured through well-established, long-term sourcing agreements with electric utilities.”

“As we continue to build to support growing population demands, the integration of circular building materials such as ECOAsh plays a crucial role in driving our portfolio towards a more sustainable future,” adds Holcim Region Head, North America Toufic Tabbara. “By embracing these strategies, we not only provide essential building materials but also establish the foundation for building greener and smarter cities while shaping the trajectory of our industry for generations to come.”