Thermal power producers have yet again missed the 100% fly ash utilisation target set by the environment ministry, reporting under-utilisation for the third straight year amid policy confusion over dumping of the effluent. Although the proportion of fly ash utilisation in 2012-13 increased by 3% from a year ago, the number of thermal power plants that missed the target went up to 66 from 43, according to a report by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).
This is the general picture, but on a micro level the situation is very different. Since processing of Fly Ash by mechanical air classification was introduced to India by Georg Dirk the branded fly ash product POZZOCRETE became a valuable commodity as partial cement replacement as it was produced near the large population centers of Mumbai, Pune and Nashik.
Persuaded by the success of POZZOCRETE as a quality improver for concrete power generators were seduced to increase the price for their waste (fly ash). Consequently only a part of the generated fly ash was purchased for concrete applications. Instead of giving the rest for free to interested and environmentally qualified users they decided to rather dump this ash in to their slurry lagoons (with all negative environmental effects) to protect their ash selling price. Even the Dirk India Nashik processing plant is starved for ash under-utilizing their processing capacity. In short: greed before fulfilling environmental obligations. Very much in contrast to the common rule: the " polluter pays" which is put on its head.
Dirk India, being a subsidiary of AMBUJA CEMENTS has a capacity to handle more than 5000 MT/ day of fly ash in its Nashik plant. AMBUJA as well as its sister concern ACC are on the forefront in producing fly ash based Pozzolan Portland Cement in India.