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Eco Material Technologies announces agreement with Georgia Power to harvest millions of tons of landfilled ash

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World Cement,


Eco Material Technologies, a leading producer of sustainable cementitious materials and near zero carbon cement replacement products, announced today an agreement with Georgia Power to harvest millions of tons of landfilled ash from Plant Bowen, one of the largest coal-fired power plants in North America.

Under the agreement, Eco Material will harvest approximately 600 000 t of landfilled ash per year from the plant in Cartersville, Ga. The effort will remove and beneficially use more than 9 million t. There is also the potential to expand operations to a second location and double annual production to over 1 million t.

The ash from Plant Bowen will be used in concrete blends to repair and construct bridges, roads, and buildings in Georgia as well as throughout the Southeast.

“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 CO2 from going into the atmosphere,” said Grant Quasha, CEO of Eco Material Technologies. “The harvested material will be used in concrete to make stronger and longer lasting bridges and roads and serve as a model for helping forward thinking utilities like Georgia Power and Southern Company close landfills and ash ponds, while building a greener and more sustainable planet.”

The material Eco Material is harvesting from Plant Bowen has been proven to enhance the strength, impermeability, and durability of concrete. The material will replace approximately 20 percent of carbon intensive Portland cement in concrete mixes. Portland cement accounts for approximately 8% of global carbon emissions.

“Georgia Power is always researching and exploring new and innovative ways to reuse coal ash that is beneficial to our customers and our communities. Finding and securing these opportunities to beneficially use coal ash will not only reduce and save space in landfills, but will also serve as a financial tool to help offset the cost of ash pond closures for our customers,” said Aaron Mitchell, vice president of Environmental Affairs for Georgia Power. “As the largest project of its kind in this country, this project at Plant Bowen is historic for our company, and our entire industry, and we see the potential to expand beneficial use projects further in the future.”

“As concrete manufacturers continue to work to achieve carbon neutrality in production, 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,” said Tom Adams, executive director of the American Coal Ash Association. “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.”

Eco Material is building a new plant onsite to harvest the landfilled ash at Plant Bowen. In addition to construction and other temporary jobs, more than 20 full-time jobs will be created for operation of the facility.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/01072022/eco-material-technologies-announces-agreement-with-georgia-power-to-harvest-millions-of-tons-of-landfilled-ash/

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