Hot Topic: Alumina Extraction from Fly Ash

Baotou, Inner Mongolia

Aluminium is widely used in transportation, packaging and building materials sectors, due to its resistance to corrosion.  Alumina can be found in coal deposits all over the world including the US, India and China, the top three producers. Aluminium extraction however, is not a common practice in coal-fired power stations, as many struggle to justify the costs and energy costs. Inefficient systems have caused an obstacle for industry wide adaptation.

At this year’s Coal Ash Asia, in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, July 21-24, Industry professionals and researchers from around the globe will meet to discuss and share knowledge on Alumina Extraction. Discussions will explore energy and cost efficient extraction technologies, as well as international and domestic overviews from participating countries in our International Panel session.   

Our annual industrial tour will take place at Datang International Renewable Resources Development Co., Ltd. The holding company, Datang Group is a “big five” power company in China. The company is operating the first and only commercial project of Alumina Extraction of Fly ash in China, with production capacity of 200 000 tons/a Alumina, and producing paper and building materials products. Among these by-products are cement and calcium silicate board.

China universities, including the China Building Materials Academy in Beijing, lead in research pertaining to fly and bottom ash a processing and utilization. Feedback from the international community from Coal Ash Asia 2016 supported notions that China is year’s ahead in terms clean energy technology.

Processing and treating ash from coal fired power stations to the building materials industry is new to countries like Ukraine. “ The only industry that uses fly ash in Ukraine is the cement industry, with no processing or treatment, we simply feed what we get from the power station to the plant,” Andrey Garanin, business development manager from United Minerals Group (UMG) in Ukraine. Mr. Garanin attended CAA2016 to explore alternative applications for ash. After a visit to CAA’s annual industrial tour in Shuozhou, Mr. Garanin cited that there are many possibilities for effective adaptation in Ukrainian markets for Chinese tech. “China could help guide Ukraine to clean, energy efficient building materials. The infrastructure is unlike anything we’ve seen in Eastern Europe.”

Check out our introduction page to find our more about Coal Ash Asia 2017, who else will be joining us, and what other tracks we will cover at this year’s event.

Read the Wood Mackenzie report on alumina extraction!  (click here)

 

Coal Ash Institute of India: Newest Member of WWCCPN

Kolkata, India

AsianCAA welcomes the membership and participation of the Coal Ash Institute of India (CAII) to the World Wide Coal Combustion Products Network. The induction took place in December 2016. “We are very pleased to be working with Dr. Chatterjee and his team to enhance collaboration and exchange across the region,” stated Mr. David Harris, Chairman of AsianCAA.

Coal Ash Institute of India’s mission is to promote eco-friendly and gainful use and management of coal ash generated from thermal power plants. They support technical research and host meaningful exchanges regarding coal ash research concerning utilization and production in India. CAII will be hosting the third Asia-Pacific Conclave this March 17-19, at the Hotel Pride Plaza in Rajarhat, Kolkata. The conclave will address dry extraction and effective utilization of bottom ash. It will also cover technological advances in other coal combustion products and emissions in thermal power plants.

AsianCAA is planning a sizeable delegation in support of this conclave, and Mr. David Harris will be contributing an oral presentation on Coal Ash processing and utilization in China to the proceedings. For more information about this event, please view the event brochure,

Please visit our contact page to submit any inquiries about the upcoming event.

China and Australian Coal Combustion Products Exchange: Millmerran Power Station and Independent Fly Ash Brokers

- Brisbane, Australia

A Chinese delegation including academics, power plant professionals and coal combustion product consumers traveled to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns on a twelve day visit to Australia. The program, led by David Harris, Chairman of the Asian Coal Ash Association, and Bill Martin, senior partner with Coal Ash Solutions, included visits to key construction material and building material laboratories and production facilities.  The coal combustion products exchange took place from November 19th – 30th. 

The first stop on the tour was a visit to Millmerran Power Station and the co-located fly ash and bottom ash processing facility owned and operated by Independent Fly Ash Brokers. Millmerran Power Station, located just west of Brisbane, is a 1000-megawatt coal mine mouth power station, using pulverized coal and producing 3000 tons of coal ash per year. An introduction to the power station was provided by manager Joel Rickuss. The Chinese delegation observed an overview Millmerran, which is of one of the most cost efficient power stations in Australia. This is partly due to being located next to the coal mine. However, Millmerran also recycles the municipal waste water from the nearby city of Toowomba, piping the water to the station for use in their cooling system. The station does not use standard cooling towers, but a radiator system that proves to be very cost effective and resource efficient in a region of Australia where water conservation is a top priority. 

Bottom ash from the power station is being used for road base, improving the quality of roads for the coal mining operation. The fly ash is being collected by Independant Fly ash Brokers (IFB), a company jointly owned by three regional construction materials companies.  Due to the large distance from the markets, only 20-30% of the fly ash is being beneficially utilised. The rest is being used to backfill the coal mine.

The Chinese delegation noticed the difference in safety protocols and in the organization of the power station.

Independent Fly Ash Brokers is a joint venture between Wagners, Neilsens and CaldwellsIFB has a fly ash processing facility that is co-located with Millmerran. IFB pumps dry ash to their classifiers and silos pneumatically. The tour was given by Peter Dennis, IFB's operations manager.

The degree of automation at the IFB facility is impressive. After being pneumatically conveyed from the power station, fly ash is classified and then stored in hoppers, ready to discharge into pneumatic tanker trucks. Drivers of the tanker trucks pull into the loading bay, underneath the hopper outlet. The driver parks the truck and then goes to the operator deck to connect the discharge pipe from the hopper to the inlet on the truck storage tank. The hopper is on a gantry and - in the case of a double tanker truck - can be moved automatically by the truck driver from one tank to the next without moving the truck. The computer system indicates when the volume of ash has reached the tank capacity and automatically shuts off the discharge. 

All of this is done at a single loading control unit and is efficiently designed as trucks do not need to move from station to station. The whole loading process is operated by the truck driver, reducing labour costs and chances for human error. 

The delegation was very impressed by the degree of automation, cleanliness, organisation, and the factory design.

The next visit on our itinerary was to Wagner's Geoploymer. Wagner’s three trading divisions - Wagners Concrete, Quarries and Transport include cement, flyash and lime, reinforcing steel, on site concrete supply, contract crushing and bulk transport, as well as lightweight composite fibre products. Please view the next post in our post SACCP exchange series, for more information on that visit.

Date and Location Set for AsianCAA’s Coal Ash Asia 2017!

Next year’s Coal Ash Asia will be in Baotou, Inner Mongolia from July 21-24. Baotou was the event’s first location back in 2010. We’ve decided to return this year with a new venue, tracks, and industrial tour. Please see below for more information, and our list of invited guests.

Baotou is the largest industrial city in the Inner Mongolia and is located at the foot of the Yinshan Mountains, and on the bank of the Yellow River. With a total population of over 2.65 million, The city has successively won the titles of National Civilized City, Garden City, and National Excellent Tourist City. This leisure capital situated on grassland well displays its charm with its natural resources and cultural assumptions.

The Mongolians have created a unique culture of the city with the ancient Great Wall, grasslands, desert and rich mineral resources allowing it to develop as a modern industrial city, reputed now as the 'steel capital on grassland' and the 'capital of rare earth'. Industrially, Baotou is most famous for the discovery of the Baiyun'ebo iron mine in the early Twentieth Century. 

We will be releasing information about our industrial tour shortly. Our visit will be to an aluminium extraction facility in Baotou. This topic will be widely discussed during this year’s event in Inner Mongolia.

To become an exhibitor or sponsor, please review our exhibitor/sponsorship package and contact our event staff with any questions. Please also visit our Exhibitors and Sponsorship Page.  

Paper Submissions and Presentation Abstract forms are due May 15th. To be a speaker at this year’s event, register through our registration page and our event staff will send you a presentation abstract form.

Registration and Attendance fees:

Regular: 1950 USD

Early Bird (before April 1st ): only $1500 (save $450)

For Coal Ash Asia 2017,

the tracks include:

1. Coal ash Processing and Utilization

  a. Grinding, Classify and Superfine grinding

  b. Cement, Concrete, Wall Materials and Geopolymer

  c. High Value utilizations: Ceramics, Cenospheres, and Fillers

  d. sulphoaluminate cement

2. FGD Gypsum Utilization

  a. Gypsum drying and Calcification

  b. Construction Applications: gypsum block, board, mortar

  c. Agricultural applications

  d. High Strength Gypsum, etc

3. Metal extraction

  a. Al extraction

  b. Other metal extraction

4. Slag and Tailings

 

General itinerary: July 20-24, Beijing and Baotou

July 20   Welcome Reception in Beijing

July 21   Registration; Exhibition set-up

July 22   morningplenary session

               afternoonSimultaneous Tracks

July 23   morning   Simultaneous Tracks

               afternoonplenary session and closing ceremony

July 24   Industrial tour

Invited attendees include:

Datang Group

University of Kentucky, Centre for Applied Energy Research

Huaneng Group

Coal Ash Institute of India

Guodian Group

Shenhua Group

Datong Mine Group

Shanxi Energy group

Beijing Energy Group

China Building Materials Group

Baotou Steel Group

Baosteel Group

China Building Materials Academy

Peking University

Tsinghua University

Nanjing University of Technology

East China University of Technology

State Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Reuse for Building Materials, China

National Institute of Low-Carbon and Clean Energy, Beijing

Coal Ash Solutions

Adbri Masonry

>In Lieu of our annual event in Shuozhou, we will be hosting a different event aimed at the local industrial sectors, we will be releasing information shortly for this upcoming September.

Choosing Industry Events in 2017: A Checklist

As industry professionals explore options of what events to attend in 2017, AsianCAA has put together a top 10 list of what is important to consider when choosing a conference, to ensure the best possible “bang for your buck”. From trade shows to conclaves and summits, all of these platforms share the following simple, but critical components. Depending on the needs of the individual, some features are more important than others. Based on aspects such as commercial vs. academic interests, producer vs consumer positions, choosing the right industry conference for your needs is crucial.
 

1. Content

Arguably, the most important aspect of any industry conference.  People choose events based on their specific interests. Whether buying, selling or knowledge sharing, people like to come away from an event having gained knowledge and or relationships. Having the best content not only brings top industry professionals, it gives merit and shapes the reputation of a conference.

             2.    Opportunities for Networking

Networking is the reason for the season at most conferences. People go to conferences toshare and gain knowledge regarding research or products and services. Creating as many possible opportunities to network will create value for you and your attendees. Activities such as group outings, cocktail hours and open discussions will increase these opportunities and take the pressure off of your attendees to create their own introductions or platforms for discussions.

            3. Venue

Choice of venue is a key component for any conference, big or small. Open spaces allow for people to congregate more easily and networking will happen more organically. Also make sure there are private meeting areas for more formal meetings to take place. Attending an event in a city where the topic matter is relevant will always bring meaningful and active participation.

Accessibility from the airport for international events and adequate parking and shuttles for local events is another way to ensure you make the most of your time with what matters. Make sure there is exceptional lodging close to or at the location where the conference will be taking place.

           4. Size

“The bigger the better” doesn’t apply to the conference world. Size is very important to consider when choosing or planning an event. Conferences are planned based on who they want to attract. Some large industry conferences would not be effective if they were broken down into smaller events, as the topic matter is more beneficial to have it all under one roof. That being said, smaller events have an easier time at creating a sense of community and allowing freer flowing discussion. It also allows for scalability if you are a new event. Starting big creates risks of not being able to meet expectations and appearing unorganized.

           5.    User Friendly and Accessible

Conferences with accessible content and venue create a comfortable environment for attendees. You want to leave feeling that they got the most possible value for their money. An easily readable itinerary and conference program help you find where you should be and when to be there. Signs and conference area layout maps are key when attending or planning larger events. Organisers want to make sure every aspect of their event is being utilized and therefore, having a user-friendly, organized system is vital. This feature is key to how people perceive a conference and inevitably how they enjoy it.

           6.    Variety

This applies to content as well as activities and mediums for discussion. If a conference is all one method of information sharing (oral presentations, seminars, industry tours), it may not create the exclusivity needed to appeal to a wide selection of people, and may get repetitive.   Also, if an event is directed at too niche of a topic, some people may be discouraged at sharing research or product knowledge as there may already be too much competition to make these individuals unique. Be sure to make sure you see where you fit in at a conference and in how many ways your reason for being there can be capitalized.

          7.    Open Discussion

Conferences which focus too much on “single direction knowledge flow” such as purely seminar or oral presentation based tracks lose the benefit of having open discussions regarding content. This also effects people’s ability to speak face to face and ask questions in real time. Adding a question and answer portion and networking opportunities strengthens rapport between attendees and the overall experience.

          8.    Contact person/people

Whether this is a general help desk or a specific person/people that can be contacted at any point during the conference for questions or clarity on conference proceedings. This creates value through allowing conferences to gain expertise about what works and doesn’t work, as well as ease the minds of conference attendees who might not be use to the specific platforms.

          9.     Timing

You choose your events based on what makes more sense personally and for your organisation. A badly timed conference can alienate key demographics for your event. For the western world, end or beginning of the school year and Christmas season from December to January are not good times to host or attend events in that area. In the east (China for example), there are two times of the year which are inconvenient for business travel and events, Chinese New Year (usually January or February each year) and Golden Week (beginning of October). Remember to check calendars if you have a country of focus to attend before setting a date.  People looking for events can check holiday and event calendars and choose what is best for their schedules.

         10. Follow up/ Nurturing- Post event

Following up with attendees post event extends the relationship between attendees and event organisers.  Nurturing helps gain feedback and create potential for suggestions of future conferences that may interest the attendee. When people feel like their time and effort to attend an event is valued, they will look forward to and perhaps even promote the event to others in the industry. When you find a product that you really love, you tell your friends. This should be the goal of every conference. Make sure you choose a conference that values customer feedback.

Tell us about your role in the coal ash industry and your goals for attending conferences in 2017, and AsianCAA will design a personalized plan for the AsianCAA conference that will best suit your needs!

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Sino Australia Coal Combustion Products (SACCP) Exchange: November 19-26

Brisbane & Sydney, November 19-26

On the heels of a successful Coal Ash Asia event this past September in Shuozhou City, AsianCAA will be bringing a delegation of Chinese researchers and companies to Australia for a formal academic and commercial exchange.

The itinerary (see below) consists of a multiplatform approach to coal ash utilization in Australia. A couple goals of our tour will be to focus on sustainable design and management strategies in the construction sector and current research projects and initiatives at UNSW. UNSW Built Environment has a close relationship with the Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living based at UNSW. The CRC supports end user-driven research collaborations to address the major challenge of climate change facing Australia. UNSW Built Environment researchers are involved in CRC programs dedicated to integrated building systems and engaged communities.

The Centre for Built Infrastructure Research (CBIR) is a multidisciplinary team of researchers from the faculties of Engineering, Science and Design, Architecture and Building. CBIR's nationally and internationally renowned work focuses on finding solutions to important global problems in building structures, materials, design, management, improvement, safety and conservation.

Our commercial exchange is backed by companies who are operational and technical leaders in the coal combustion products industry. Millmerran Flyash Pty Ltd is an independent processor and marketer of coal combustion products, operating out of the Millmerran power station in South East Queensland. Utilising supercritical boiler technology and low NOx burners.

Wagners CFT Manufacturing Pty Ltd have developed and commercialised a new innovative geopolymer concrete named Earth Friendly Concrete (EFC), that offers customers unique durability performance and the highest level of sustainability of any concrete available in the world today.

Cement Australia has a production capacity of over 3 million tonnes annually. Operations range from the mining of raw materials to the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of a diverse range of high performance cements and cement related products.

Adbri Masonry manufactures and supplies a range of products to the building, construction, infrastructure and mineral processing markets throughout Australia. The company’s principal activities include the production, importation and distribution of clinker, cement, industrial lime, premixed concrete, aggregates and concrete products.

To join our delegation or our itinerary of companies/institutes, please email our communications coordinator, Sonya Laing: [email protected].

Coal Ash Asia 2016: A Summary

Asian Coal Ash Association, in collaboration with the Institute of Technical Information for the Building Materials Industry, would like to thank all of our foreign and domestic attendees for making Coal Ash Asia 2016 an outstanding event. With over 12 countries in attendance, this year stood to be AsianCAA’s most diverse event to date. Commercial and academic exchange through our business matching session (sponsored by Coal Ash Solutions – www.coalashsolutions.com) provided introductions and translation for over 30 different companies within the span of the 3 day conference. Adding to the occasion was our “signing of the contracts” ceremony, which included over 15 China based companies.

CAA2016 was comprised of 5 themes, almost all with simultaneous translation. Session 1 showcased Fly Ash technology, a favorite among the international attendees. Session 2 discussed the application technologies for desulfurization, gypsum and circulating fluidized bed residues. Those participating in our 3rd Session examined industrial solid waste utilization including coal gangue, slag red mud and tailings. For those interested in recycling technology of coal mineral resources, Session 4 offered a variety of applications and procedures being used in modern processing facilities. Lastly was our session based on cooperation, with special focus on integrated utilization of coal ash.

Feedback from our international attendees centered on the organizational aspects of the event, commenting on the smooth running and easily accessible features of Coal Ash Asia. Content was also highly commended, as most in attendance were amazed at the domestic and Asian approach to ash utilization and recycling.  Andrii Garanin, business development manager for UMG Minerals in Ukraine commented” China is at least two years ahead in ash utilization than anything I’ve seen in Europe. We have much to learn from the Chinese if we are to effectively bring solutions to Ukraine”.

Multiple networking opportunities including the annual welcome breakfast in Beijing, high speed train ride to Taiyuan, Industrial Tour in Shuozhou and tour of the Shuozhou Temple helped nurture meaningful relationships and collaborations.

Our international panel session, a new feature at our Coal Ash Asia event, was participated in by 5 countries including: Indonesia, China, USA, Canada, Australia & Russia. The open discussion between panelists gave global perspective of coal ash issues to all in attendance.  Topics covered in the discussion included driving utilisation by supporting established and emerging technologies, established technologies and overcoming the tyranny of distance.  Delegates spoke about challenges and opportunities for government, financiers and MNC’s in commercializing new CCP technologies. Another meaningful discussion pertained to international trade and commentators had much to say regarding supply and demand trends and developments including challenges and opportunities around standards and quality control as well as logistics and infrastructure investment.

Readers of this article should also have a look at our Coal Ash Asia 2016 photo gallery for a closer look at conference activities. Organizers and participants are now looking forward to Coal Ash Asia 2017, to be hosted in Baotou, Inner Mongolia.   

For access to 2016’s conference program, please email [email protected]

Coal combustion product presentation in Bali, upcoming fly ash utilisation seminars in Jakarta

Bali, Indonesia

Coaltrans Asia, the largest coal related conference in the region, was held at the Bali International Conference Center in Bali, Indonesia from May 29th - May 30th this year. 

The conference organizers invited Mr. David Harris, chairman of the Asian Coal Ash Association, to join the meeting and make a presentation on trends in utilisation of coal combustion by-products (CCP's). Imbalances and disruptions in global supplies and demand for CCP's have generated renewed interest in opportunities for international trade, while coal miners and coal power generators are on the lookout for methods of cost reduction or alternative revenue streams in the face of depressed prices and increased pressure from renewable energy producers. 

The presentation covered trends in international trading of coal combustion products, including production and utilisation figures for regions around the world. Mr. Harris also provided an overview of existing and emerging technologies for producing higher value products from CCPs.

The presentation was well received with a number of industry stakeholders expressing interest in the sector. On the back of the high level of engagement, Mr. Harris and Mr. Bill Martin, a partner with procurement and advisory firm Optimus Management, were invited by industry leaders to speak at an educational seminar in Jakarta on July 27th.

The presentations will focus on utilisation of fly ash in construction materials and other applications. The seminars will be held at the Pan Pacific hotel in Jakarta from 10am - 2pm.

For more information on the event, please contact Mr. Cato, Nordskog at:[email protected]

Early Bird Rates End July 1st! Register Now for Asian Coal Ash Association’s 6th Annual Coal Ash Asia Event


The Asian Coal Ash Association in collaboration with ITIBMI (Institute for Technical Information for the Building Materials Industry is under way with planning Coal Ash Asia, 2016, from September 23-26. New components at this year’s event will be an international panel discussion as well as an interview component, led by government, commercial and academic leaders of interest.

Based on the success of last year the association is offering our international delegates a unique experience at our event with complimentary business matching services. Attendees will be able to request meetings with individuals/organisations of interest and receive complimentary translation services during the course of the event.

This will be the association’s sixth year hosting and third year in Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province, with next year’s event to be held in Baotou, Inner Mongolia.  Government support from the Shuozhou government has made them a key participant and contributor to CAA events. Shuozhou city is home to one of China’s most prominent industrial parks, with currently twelve operations functioning in the industrial solid waste utilization sector.

Other activities of note include visiting a 1000 year old Pagoda, traveling on a 300km/hour high speed train to visit the city of Taiyuan (China's coal industry capital) and enjoying multiple cocktail hours and networking opportunities.

International guests are welcome to participate as oral presenters and exhibitors or by way of submitting academic research new product overviews to our poster exhibition and building materials journal. Register before July 1st and receive a discounted rate of $1500 (regular $1950).