Ashcor USA Inc. and Consumers Energy have entered an agreement to extract millions of tons of impounded coal ash from the J.H. Campbell Generating Complex in Port Holland, Mich. Over a projected 20-year schedule, Ashcor’s Reclaimed Ash Management (RAM) technology will transform stored volumes at the power facility into concrete-grade fly ash. The Michigan utility plans to retire the 2,000-acre complex’s three coal-fired units in May 2025, while Ashcor performs preliminary work toward a January 2027 RAM start up.
“While our focus today is on meeting power needs in a more environmentally sustainable way, we are also committed to removing 60 years of ash deposits that will be beneficially repurposed,” says Consumers Vice President of Generation Operations Norm Kapala. “We’re doing the right thing as we make a just transition away from coal as a fuel source for electricity and that includes fulfilling our environmental responsibilities at the Campbell Generating Complex.”
“We’re very pleased that we will be able to reclaim [the] ash, transforming it into a high-quality supplementary cement replacement material,” notes Ashcor Technologies Ltd. President John Tiberi. “Ultimately, this manufactured ash can substitute up to 30 percent of traditional, carbon-intensive portland cement, making it a more sustainable solution for countless construction projects and concrete applications. This will be our third RAM facility, and we are eager to incorporate our operational expertise into a state-of-the-art design, tailored to J.H. Campbell’s site and the market demands of the Great Lakes area.”
The inaugural U.S. venture underscores an ambitious growth strategy and commitment to expansion in a key market, he adds. By leveraging proven expertise and processing methods, Ashcor is setting the stage to deliver sustainable solutions to a broader audience of utility companies and meet the growing demand for reclaimed, high-performance materials across the construction and industrial sectors.