ACC Ltd, now owned by Holsim Group of Switzerland, has said that potential for fly ash and slag blended cement manufacturing is high in the eastern region.
Existence of steel plants, thermal power units and presence of limestone reserves in some eastern States make a case for cheaper raw material based production synergy, according to experts.
At present, eastern India generated 61.7 million tonnes of fly ash, out of which only 7.3 mt is used for making blended or Portland Pozzolana cement.
Most of the remaining quantity of this ‘resource’ was not utilised, said ACC in a note.
“Thermal power plants of West Bengal alone generate 16.3 million tonnes of fly ash. The fly ash generation is expected to grow further as coal would continue to remain the major source of energy at least for the next 25 years,” ACC further said.
Unutilised fly ash and slag may pose environmental challenges if not managed well. Huge dumps around steel and power plants in eastern States are already health and environmental hazards, according to green groups working in the region.