FLYASH

MANAGEMENT

A BUSINESS RESEARCH MANAGEMENT PROPOSAL

SUBMITTED BY:
NITIN NARSARIA
PGP/16/151
28/02/2012

FLYASH MANAGEMENT

ABSTRACT
a) Purpose:
The following report seeks to understand the various facets related to ash what it is? How is it
produced and why is it such a nuisance today? It also aims at providing an Indian perspective to this
problem. In the end it tries to provide alternative ways of disposal of fly ash.
b) Design/Methodology/Approach:
Having a work experience in this industry, enabled the author to collect some not so readily available
data .Primary data was collected via two employees of the company NTPC limited. Secondary data was
obtained by reviewing various literatures available on the subject. In general this study is based on
experience and the problems faced by the power industry in disposal of ash produced during combustion
of coal in a power plant
c) Findings:
The major concerns associated with coal burnt fly ash are enhanced rate of production, its underutilization for civil construction activities, associated air and water pollution problems and fly ashmounds management for storage. In spite of various measures taken by the government, the amount of
fly ash is still increasing (BOT graph presented later confirms this fact)
d) Practical Implications:
The research findings reveal that although fly ash is a huge menace, if put to judicious use it can be a
great asset as it finds diverse uses. This report also exposes the limitations of these current methods and
shows that how using better quality of fuel might curb this problem of fly ash.

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INTRODUCTION
To proceed any further we first need to define what fly ash is. It is one of the several residues generated
during the combustion of coal inside a boiler in a thermal power plant. Ash particles have silica,
alumina, oxides of iron, calcium and magnesium and heavy toxic metals such as lead, arsenic, cobalt and
copper. These fine particles rise up with the flame in the steam boiler.
India has huge power requirements. It currently has an installed capacity of 211.766 GW out of which
56% is generated through coal fired boilers. This is a huge considering the fact that to produce this over
230 250 million MT of coal is being used every year. Indian coal has a very high ash content varying
from 30% to 50% of total coal content. By the most conservative of estimates this implies that India
generates at least 110 million MT of ash every year.
Startling is the fact that this figure is supposed to grow to about 225 million MT by 2017. Currently
65000 acres of India is under fly ash. And this demand would only keep on increasing. Failure to find
suitable ways of disposing fly ash has resulted in shutting down of some power generating units (e.g.
NTPC Korba one unit was shut down due to this) or under generation of electricity. This does not bode
well for a country like India which is power deficit (India currently is 8.5% deficit in terms of peak
load). Hence the problem of fly ash demands much greater attention than it is given right now.
Some might argue that fly ash can be stored. Why is then there a need to find alternative ways to utilize
it? The answer to this question is very simple. Storage of fly ash creates multiple problems first of all
there is huge area required for its storage. However due to overloading, ash dykes have known to
collapse (e.g. Collapse of ash dyke of Tennessee Valley Authoritys Kingston Fossil Plant). It cant be
stored near water bodies due to presence of toxins which might percolate and contaminate. Mere
exposure to fly ash causes skin problems. Hence we need to find alternative ways to use fly ash.

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PROBLEM STRUCTURING
a) Stakeholder Analysis :
a. Stakeholder Map:-

GOVERNMENT

POLICY
MAKERS

CONSUMER
S

FLYASH
POLITICAL
PARTIES

POWER
PLANTS

ECONOMY

ENVIRONMENT

b. Specific stakeholder chart :POWER PLANTS

CONSUMERS

ECONOMY

ENVIRONMENT

NTPC LIMITED

COMMON FOLK

INDUSTRIES

ENVIRONMENT

RELIANCE POWER

CORPORATES

FOREIGN

AGENCIES

INVESTORS

WATER BODIES

ADANI POWER
TORRENT POWER

RATING AGENCIES

ETC.

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Specific Stakeholder Chart (contd.):GOVERNMENT

POLITICAL PARTIES

POLICY MAKERS

POWER MINISTRY

RULING PARTY

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

STATE GOVERNMENTS

OPPOSITION PARTIES

ENVIRONMENT MIINISTRY
PLANNING COMMISSION

c. Identification of stakes

POWER
PLANTS

CONSUME
RS

Many power utilities are facing closure due to excessive flyash

They may have to change their technolgy - either make it more efficient or switch over from
coal to other fuels
Common folk may face incresed electricty prices
Corporates may have to face excessive slab rates for electricity consumed

Increasing electricty prices may create barriers to entry and prevent industrialisation
Foreign investment may stop pouring in as India might become an unattractive market due to
ECONOMY
non availability of basic factors of production

ENVIRON
MENT

Environment may face irreparable damage due to improper disposal of ash

Rating bodies might face a tougher task and may make their laws stricter

Such a problem does not bode well for any government

GOVERNM May lead to political instability
ENT

POLITICAL
PARTIES

POLICY
MAKERS
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There might be complete inaction on part of ruling party

The opposition party may blow the issue out of proportion

Rapid electrification may stop due to this implication

Policy makers might be tempted to plan short term

FLYASH MANAGEMENT

b) BOT graph :-

It was believed that increasing the use of imported coal (with lesser carbon content) in place of the
traditional domestic coal (with high carbon content) would lead to reduction in ash production. It was
also assumed that if the number of units generating electricity was reduced, the amount of ash produced
would be lesser as lesser coal would be burnt.
However the opposite trend was observed. The amount of ash was constantly increasing. This was in
spite of the measures taken to curb ash production.
This same trend is shown in the above BOT (behavior over time graph). This might indicate that the
problem of ash needs to be handled more from the demand side than from the supply side.

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LITERATURE REVIEW:
a) A review on the utilization of fly ash1
This paper recognizes fly ash as an environmental pollutant. It also discusses utilization of fly ash as a
construction material, as an adsorbent for removal of organic compounds. It also highlights the future
role of fly ash for adsorption of NOx, SOx, mercury etc. in water. The studies have been highly promising
and research has shown that activating the fly ash increases its adsorbing capacity. Further research in
this area has also been discussed.
b) The Indian perspective of utilizing fly ash in phytoremediation, phytomanagement and biomass
production2
This paper comments that fly ash is one of the major residues generated during combustion of coal. It
further describes the toxins present in it such as Cr, Pb, Hg, As, and Cd. It also has many useful
materials like S, B, Ca, Na, Fe, Zn, Mn and P. Significant is the fact that this paper thinks about alternate
utilization ways of fly ash dumping sites. These sites have been identified as potential resource for
biomass production of tree species. This paper also briefly discusses about phytomanagement.
c) Reclamation and revegetation of fly ash disposal sites Challenges and research needs3
Fly ash is about 70-75% of coal residue. However its utilization is only about 30%. The rest is disposed
in landfills or fly ash basins. Surface ash must be stabilized so that wind does not blow it away. It is also
important to use these places for aesthetic purposes. However it also points out that there is further
research required to understand the effects of ash weathering and organic matter accumulation on ash
derived soil.

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d) An appraisal of the potential use of fly ash for reclaiming coal mine spoil4
Fly ash must be disposed of or handled in a way that does not harm the environment. It can be used as
amine spoil. Many mines can be reclaimed through its usage as has been demonstrated before.
Application of fly ash improves the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. However before
filling of mines, fly ash must be critically evaluated so that any unforeseen consequences are prevented.
A major drawback in using fly ash is the transportation cost involved.
e) A study of physico-chemical and mineralogical properties of Talcher coal fly ash for stowing in
underground coal mines5
Talcher is a place in Orissa, India. It has a NTPC power project. The physical properties of fly ash from
this plant were studied. These included density, bulk density, porosity etc. It was found to be enriched in
silica, alumina and iron oxides and fell under class F category of fly ash. The particles were found to be
almost spherical in shape. Pond ash was found to be better stowing material than fly ash
f) Power station fly ash a review of value-added utilization outside of the construction industry6
This paper again states that the disposal of fly ash causes huge environmental problems. A very small
percentage is utilized in the cement industry and other construction products. So this paper emphasizes
that utilization of fly ash in other areas necessary. Fly ash can be utilized in waste management, recovery
of metals and agriculture etc. hence positive reuse of fly ash is encouraged. This is supposed to reduce
the environmental and economic implications of improper disposal.

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g) Disposal, uses and treatments of combustion ashes: a review7

This article brings to light the fact that combustion of coal results in formation of mobile ash particles.
One very important fact brought to light by this article is that source reduction has very little effect in
curbing this menace. Vanadium is extracted commercially from fly ash Biohydrometallurgy is most
widely used for extraction of heavy metals. Also the various methods of destruction, immobilization and
forced extraction should be evaluated properly because the evaluation depends a lot on the weights
assigned to the factors.
h) A study of ground coarse fly ashes with different finenesses from various sources as pozzolanic
materials8
This study studies coarse fly ash from five sources. All these sources produce fly ash with different
shapes, sizes and chemical composition. Cement mortar with fly ash was prepared and was compared
with control mortar. The results were encouraging. If fly ash was more finely grounded, the compressive
strength of cement increased. However another major factor that came to light during this study was that
the fineness of fly ash solely determined the pozollanic properties. It no way depended on the chemical
composition of fly ash.
i) Factors affecting the suitability of fly ash as source material for geopolymers9
Fly ash can even be used for manufacturing geopolymers.to test these geoplolymer paste and concrete
specimens were prepared. These specimens were subjected to various chemical and mechanical tests.
These tests included compressive strength, RAMAN spectroscopy etc. A correlation study was then
undertaken to correlate the properties of fly ash and the resulting geopolymer. Factors responsible for fly
ash properties were the same that were responsible for geoplolymer.

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FLYASH MANAGEMENT

j) Effects of colloidal nanoSiO2 on fly ash hydration10

Fly ash hydration and effects of Nano SiO2 on fly ash hydration is studied. CNS accelerates hydration
initially. However it hinders the pozzolanic reaction of fly ash is hindered later by the same compound.
It also proposes ways to mitigate the adverse effects of nanoSiO2 on cement hydration.

RESEARCH PROBLEM:
The growing amount of fly ash production from power plants

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE:
To understand the consequences of fly ash production and measures by which it can be used in alternate
ways with the maximum positive effect on environment.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
How much fly ash is currently being produced?
What are the future projections for fly ash production?
What are the alternative methods of using fly ash?

PROPOSED METHODOLOGY/METHODS:a) Survey of existing literature:

The literature available is abundant. A thorough study of the literature is necessary to know about the
latest developments in this field. This is particularly important in this context because of the absence of
any particular proven method of utilizing fly ash.

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FLYASH MANAGEMENT

b) Field Survey:
The exact amount of fly ash generated must be known by the government to take up any decisions at the
macro level. Generally plants decide to cover the fact about the fly ash generated in their plant as they
have to adhere to certain norms. Hence filed surveys are required to get an accurate estimate of the data.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY:

There are some inherent limitations of this study. This study does not take into account fly ash produced
in foreign countries. It however takes into account some methods adopted by the foreign countries to
properly utilize fly ash. Some of these methods might not be completely suitable for Indian conditions.
Another limitation is that there are inherent limitations in application of fly ash. This report does not
forecast what would happen if such a discrepancy existed in generation and utilization of fly ash.

SCOPE FOR FURTHER RESEARCH:

The results of the study can be extrapolated to predict the future if fly ash keeps on being generated at
this pace. Also a comparative study can be done on the relative effectiveness of the various methods
discussed.

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REFERENCES:
[1] M. Ahmaruzzaman, A review on the utilization of fly ash, Progress in Energy and Combustion
Science, Volume 36, Issue 3, June 2010, Pages 327-363, ISSN 0360-1285, 10.1016/j.pecs.2009.11.003.
[2] Vimal Chandra Pandey, P.C. Abhilash, Nandita Singh, The Indian perspective of utilizing fly ash in
phytoremediation, phytomanagement and biomass production, Journal of Environmental Management,
Volume 90, Issue 10, July 2009, Pages 2943-2958, ISSN 0301-4797, 10.1016/j.jenvman.2009.05.001.
[3] R.J. Haynes, Reclamation and revegetation of fly ash disposal sites Challenges and research needs,
Journal of Environmental Management, Volume 90, Issue 1, January 2009, Pages 43-53, ISSN 03014797, 10.1016/j.jenvman.2008.07.003.
[4] Lal C. Ram, Reginald E. Masto, An appraisal of the potential use of fly ash for reclaiming coal mine
spoil, Journal of Environmental Management, Volume 91, Issue 3, JanuaryFebruary 2010, Pages 603617, ISSN 0301-4797, 10.1016/j.jenvman.2009.10.004.
[5] Devi Prasad Mishra, Samir Kumar Das, A study of physico-chemical and mineralogical properties of
Talcher coal fly ash for stowing in underground coal mines, Materials Characterization, Volume 61,
Issue 11, November 2010, Pages 1252-1259, ISSN 1044-5803, 10.1016/j.matchar.2010.08.008.
[6] Power station fly ash a review of value-added utilization outside of the construction industry,
Resources, Conservation and Recycling, Volume 31, Issue 3, March 2001, Pages 217-228, ISSN 09213449, 10.1016/S0921-3449(00)00084-7.

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[7] Disposal, uses and treatments of combustion ashes: a review, Resources, Conservation and
Recycling,

Volume

43,

Issue

3,

February

2005,

Pages

313-336,

ISSN

0921-3449,

10.1016/j.resconrec.2004.06.007.
[8] Kraiwood Kiattikomol, Chai Jaturapitakkul, Smith Songpiriyakij, Seksun Chutubtim, A study of
ground coarse fly ashes with different finenesses from various sources as pozzolanic materials, Cement
and Concrete Composites, Volume 23, Issues 45, AugustOctober 2001, Pages 335-343, ISSN 09589465, 10.1016/S0958-9465(01)00016-6.
[9] E.I. Diaz, E.N. Allouche, S. Eklund, Factors affecting the suitability of fly ash as source material for
geopolymers, Fuel, Volume 89, Issue 5, May 2010, Pages 992-996, ISSN 0016-2361,
10.1016/j.fuel.2009.09.012.
[10] Pengkun Hou, Kejin Wang, Jueshi Qian, Shiho Kawashima, Deyu Kong, Surendra P. Shah, Effects
of colloidal nanoSiO2 on fly ash hydration, Cement and Concrete Composites, Volume 34, Issue 10,
November 2012, Pages 1095-1103, ISSN 0958-9465, 10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2012.06.013.

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