Vedanta aims to achieve 80% fly ash utilisation of by 2020; to introduce third-party review of its tailings

Vedanta Ltd is aiming to achieve 80% fly ash utilisation of by 2020. In a recently released report, the company informed that it will introduce third-party review of tailings/ash dyke management system and development of site specific improvement plan in its India operations. Fly ash is by-product of coal powered plants.

Indian thermal power plants generate around 1-million ton of fly ash which contains around 25-35% Al2O3 and 50-60% SiO2.

“Our initiatives on water, energy and carbon management progressed well during the year. We recycled 94% of the high-volume, low-effect-wastes such as fly ash, slag, red-mud and jarosite,” the Vedanta report said.

“Non-hazardous, high-volume and low-effect wastes such as fly ash, red mud and phosphogypsum are the predominant wastes generated from our operations. Hazardous waste includes used/spent oil, waste refractories, aluminium dross, spent pot lining and residual sludge from smelters,” the company added.

Vedanta recycled 101 % of fly ash and 97% of lime grit in Lanjigarh refinery in 2018. At their BALCO IPP, 100% of the fly ash was utilised at both the power plants, up from 62% and 58% respectively in 2017.

In power operations, Vedanta utilised 90% of the generated fly ash as road construction material and by selling them to local brick kilns. At Lanjigarh and Jhasuguda, 116% of fly ash from operations is recycled.

The report emphasises Vedanta’s agenda of “Zero Harm, Zero Waste, Zero Discharge”.

Waste products like fly ash and red mud remain one of the biggest challenges for the aluminium industry. Red mud has become an acute concern due to its large scale generation and after a few reported incidents of spillage in recent times, which have caused environmental damages.

A recent report from the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) raised concerns over violation of environmental norms by blue chip aluminium firm National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO).

“The daily discharge of red mud and red mud pond effluent from the refinery was consistently higher than the corresponding limits specified by the Odisha State Pollution Control Board during the period from 2012-13 to 2016-17,” the report said.

To get information on bauxite residue or red mud management and its utilization, get a copy of AlCircle’s report on "Red Mud (Bauxite Residue) Management: Storage & Valorisation"