Fly Ash - Waste to Wealth

Fly ash is the waste product following the combustion of coal. The use of pulverised coal in the Thermal Power Stations result in fly ash as the waste product consisting of finely divided particles of size ranging from 1 micron to 120 micron

Areas of Fly Ash Utilization

4     Fly Ash Bricks

4     Embankment and Fills

4     Road Pavement

4     Portland Pozzolana Cement

4     Cement Concrete and Mortar

4     Light Weight Aggregates

4     Back filling of Open Cast Mine

4     Stowing of Under Ground Mines

4     Agriculture

4     Manufacture of Alum, Paint, Ceramic, Asbestos Cement Products

Click here for Notification on Legal provisions of Fly Ash Utilisation

by Ministry of Environment and Forest, Govt. of India

Fly Ash Utilization In Korba District

Nearly 75% of India's total power generation capacity is thermal, of which coal-based power generation is nearly 90%, and diesel, wind, gas and steam adding to about 10%. High ash content in the range of 30 to 50% in Indian coals is the major cause of large voluminous quantities of coal ash. India's dependence on coal as a major source of energy had been of prime importance in the past and shall continue in this millennium, and therefore fly ash management would remain an important area of national concern. At present nearly 100 million tonnes of fly ash is being generated annually in India and more than 65000 acres of land is presently occupied by ash ponds.

It is estimated that by 2004 AD the ash generation will increase to 125 million tonnes per annum, which means that it will require nearly 100000 acres of valuable land for storage and disposal of ash by following the conventional methods, which in turn shall necessitate acquiring new ash disposal areas, sites involving displacement and hence rehabilitation problems.

There are 11 major thermal power plants in Chhattisgarh State which produces fly ash to the tune of about 26880 metric tonnes per day i.e. nearly 9.7 million tonnes of fly ash annually, out of which the four major thermal power plants in Korba district alone generates about 24000 metric tonnes per day or 8.7 million tonnes of fly ash annually. This is nearly 90 % of the total ash generated in the state and about 8.7% of the total ash generated in the country.

The total power generation capacity from the four major coal based thermal power plants situated at Korba is 3650 MW. They are namely -

1. Korba Super Thermal Power station, NTPC Ltd. Jamnipali, Korba - 2100 MW
2. Balco Captive Power Plant, Pragati Nagar, Korba - 270 MW
3. Korba Thermal Power Station, C.G State Electricity Board (East), Korba - 440 MW
4. Hasdeo Thermal Power Station, C.G State Electricity Board (West), Korba - 840 MW

Presently fly ash produced by these plants are stored and disposed off in ash dykes by following the conventional method of ash slurry system consuming about 704.907 hectares of valuable land. Safe disposal and effective utilisation of such voluminous quantity of fly ash is of immediate concern and strict compliance of the provisions laid down by the Ministry of Environment of Forest, Govt. of India vide its notification dated 14 Sept 1999 for utilisation of fly ash generated from the coal based thermal power plants has to be imperatively carried out.

Fly Ash Utilization Information Centre, Korba

The Regional Officer, Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board,

HIG - 21, 22, Maharana Pratap Nagar (Extension),

Near Ghantaghar Chowk, Korba District

Phone : 07759 222370

To ensure maximum and realistic utilization of fly ash a marathon meeting of TPPs, Govt. Works Departments, S.E.C.L, brick manufacturers and builders was held by collector, Korba on dated 24/12/2002 and reviewed again on 11/01/2003. The power plants were directed to submit a detailed action plan consisting of diversified utilisation of fly ashin various potential sectors such as - road, embankment, brick, block, tile manufacturing and back filling, stowing of mines and reclamation of low lying and waste land areas for agriculture.

The first step towards this was laid down by commencement of an information centre on fly ash utilization at the Regional Office of Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board, Korba. This is an earnest step taken towards providing relevant information on fly ash utilization not only to the entrepreneurs but also to the common people of Korba.

Workshop on Fly Ash Utilization

A national level two-day workshop on "Fly Ash Utilisation" was organized by the District administration in association with Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board on 29th and 30th of January 2003. Dr. P. Raghavan, Principal Secretary, Industry Commerce and Mining, Govt. of Chhattisgarh was the chief guest for the workshop and was presided over by Shri Vivek Dhand, Secretary, Environment and Urban Administration and Development Chairman, C.G Environment Conservation Board, Raipur.  Dr. Vimal Kumar, Mission Director, Fly Ash Mission, New Delhi and Advisor (Fly Ash) Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India was the guest of honor.

Other participants of this Workshop were eminent Scientists from the recognized institutes of the country engaged in the field of fly ash utilisation such as

• Central Road research Institute, New Delhi
• Central Mining Research Institute, Dhanbad
• Regional Research Laboratory, Bhopal,
• Fly Ash Mission, New Delhi,
• ECO Environmental Consultancy Group, Vadodara and Gujarat
• Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad
• Fly Ash utilisation Division, NTPC

Fly Ash utilisation Division, NTPC, New Delhi presented their technical papers with case studies regarding utilisation of fly ash in various sectors. The workshop culminated with site visit which included sites of potential ash consumption i.e. brick making reclamation of low lying area near Risda Ash Dyke, Back filling in the SECL Gevra Open Cast Mines

The workshop proved successful in sensitizing people and heads of industries and various Govt. and private sectors towards safe and effective fly ash utilisation in and around Korba district.

Fly Ash Utilization by Thermal power Plants and Other Sectors in Korba

Pursuant to the directives of District Administration, Power plant management are now diversifying their operations in low lying areas, abandoned mines, major road/ embankment works, agriculture etc. where fly ash can be utilised in large quantity. A series of concerted activities have taken place since December 2002 in the form of a peoples movement towards sensitizing the producers of fly ash that time has now come to convert this so-called wasteful material into resourceful material.

1. Fly Ash Brick Making

Six mechanized fly ash brick manufacturing units at Korba are producing about 60000 bricks per day. In addition to this, two mechanized fly ash brick manufacturing units have been set up by private entrepreneurs also at Korba, the total production being about 30000 bricks/day. Apart from this about 23 entrepreneurs have registered in DTIC proposals for establishing ash brick units.

To give impetus to ash brick manufacturing, District Mining Officer, who is also the Nodal Officer for fly ash utilisation, is ensuring strict compliance of certain vital instructions issued in connection with conventional brick making by MoEF i.e. mixing a minimum of 25% fly ash with clay and fixed chimney in place of moving kilns.

2. Reclamation of Low Lying Areas

Reclamation of low lying areas with pond ash has been identified by C.G State Electricity Board, Korba (East), near Risdi Ash Bund for a total of about 13 hectares, which will consume nearly 462000 MT of pond ash. Another low lying area of approximately 7.39 hectares of revenue land near village Dumarmuda, Tehsil Katghora has been identified by C.G State Electricity Board, Korba (West), which will consumed nearly 500000 MT of pond ash from Lotlota ash dyke

Balco has identified a low lying area of about 2.2 hectares of land for construction of coal handling plant near Balco Captive Power Plant at village Kendaikhar.

3. Road Making

Balco is utilising pond ash/bottom ash for construction/widening of aproximately 82 km. Long Urga - Hati road which is proposed to consume nearly 10000 MT pond ash and bottom ash.

RES has constructed two rural roads using fly ash in village Ajgarbahar area.

4. Mine Stowing

NTPC, Korba is in the process of utilising fly ash for stowing of Balgi underground mine of SECL at Korba area after obtaining technical feasibility and sample testing report from CMRI, Dhanbad. This mine stowing activity shall consume about 3000000 MT of fly ash.

5. Other Activities

The Regional office of C.G Environment Conservation Board at Korba, which is the first of its kind in the state, conducts meetings, seminars and workshops on fly ash utilisation and this office has been instrumental in providing necessary information regarding diversified and environment friendly effective utilisation of fly ash.

In order to achiev the target of 100% fly ash utilisation in the forthcoming years all the thermal power plants, Govt. Works Departments and SECL Management of Korba, Kushmunda and Gevra area have been asked for maximum utilisation of fly ash in all construction activities as an integral part of their projects.

The district Administration, Korba has also taken serious note of pollution caused during transportation of fly ash. To control this menace, the administration has instructed all TPPs and cement manufacturers to deploy closed tankers for bulk and pollution free transportation. Two such tankers have been deployed by NTPC, Korba.

Similarly administration has taken earnest steps to control fugitive emission from ash dyke areas and has deployed shift wise personnel under strict vigilance to ensure continuous water sprinkling in ash dyke.  The District Administration has also evolved a well orchestrated effort in creating mass awareness by floating populistic slogans amongst to the public, the media and enterpreneurs viz.

Korba Super Thermal Power Station, NTPC Ltd.

Fly Ash Generation : 14977088 Metric Tones (2000 March to 2002 December)

Reclamation of Fly Ash Dumps

At the KSTPS 8.44 acre of area is under demonstration. The tree species established and grown here are (by their Usage)

Comparison of fly ash properties before and after applying Mycorrhizal Technology at Korba sites

% of reduction of heavy metal profile after two years of applying Mycorrhizal Technology at Korba sites

Captive Power Plant of BALCO

Fly Ash Generation : 2280972 Metric Tones (2000 March to 2002 December)

Korba Thermal Power Station, CSEB Korba (East)

Fly Ash Generation : 2694361 Metric Tones (2000 March to 2002 December)

Hasdeo Thermal Power Plant Station, CSEB Korba (West)

Fly Ash Generation : 4324137 Metric Tones (2000 March to 2002 December)