Recycled Material Can Be Used as a Substitute for Portland Cement
LANDOVER, Md. (March 30, 2010) – Mirant Mid-Atlantic, LLC announced Monday that they filed an application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) with the Maryland Public Service Commission (MPSC) on Friday, March 26, authorizing certain modifications to its Morgantown Generating Station located in Newburg, Charles County. Specifically, Mirant requests that the MPSC authorize the construction and installation of a coal fly ash beneficiation facility and associated equipment at the Morgantown site.
The coal fly ash beneficiation facility uses a Staged Turbulent Air Reactor (STAR) thermal process technology. The STAR process converts high-carbon fly-ash that is otherwise unsuitable for commercial use into low-carbon material suitable for use as a Portland cement substitute.
It is anticipated that with the STAR facility, Mirant will avoid landfilling as much as 400,000 tons per year of coal fly ash. As a cement substitute, the STAR facility will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions contrast to the manufacture of Portland cement.
According to a June 3, 2008 EPA Report to Congress (EPA530-R008-007), energy savings and life cycle impacts of just one ton of coal fly ash recycled for use in concrete equal:
-- Energy Savings in Dollars: $129.10
-- Electricity consumption saved for average home: 24 days
-- Water Savings: 99.4 gallons
-- Avoided total CO2 equivalent greenhouse gases: Approx. 1 ton
-- Passengers cars not driven for a year: 2
-- Avoided gasoline consumption: 82 gallons
-- Avoided oil consumption: 1.7 barrels
Source: Mirant Mid-Atlantic, LLC