FlyAsh Workshop

A one day workshop on Fly Ash Utilization – promoting utilization of flyash in four different locations viz, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata & New Delhi is organized by Mission Energy Foundation in association with Fly Ash Association of India.

The work shop aims at catering awareness among the entrepreneurs, producers, solution providers about the fly ash utilization technologies and the final products. The objective of the workshop is to bring together different stakeholders involved on a common platform to discuss challenges and solutions. 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 coal is the major cause for 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.

Due to increasing environmental concern and growing magnitude of the problem it has become imperative to manage fly ash. More importantly because fly ash has tremendous potential to be utilized. Keeping in view this versatility of fly ash, several Government and NGOs are involved in fly ash utilization and safe disposal efforts in the country.

Properties of Fly Ash: Fly ash as a material is siliceous or aluminous with pozzolanic properties. It is refractory and alkaline in nature, having fineness in the range of 3000-6000 sq.cm./gm. The fine particles of fly ash by virtue of their lightness become air borne.

Types of Coal Ash: Coal ash is the residue of the coal combustion process involved in the thermal power plants. The types of coal ash from coal based thermal power plants are :

(I) Fly Ash: Collected from different rows of electrostatic precipitator

(ii) Bottom Ash: Collected at the bottom of boiler furnace

(iii) Pond Ash: Mixture of bottom ash and fly ash as available in ash disposal ponds.

Of the total fly ash generated from the thermal power plants nearly 20% is the bottom ash and nearly 80% is the fly ash. Bottom ash and fly ash are sluiced together with water as ash slurry to the ash ponds.