Innovative use of fly ash to be encouraged: Ramesh

New Delhi, Nov 12 (UNI) New and innovative methods of ash usage will be encouraged to keep pace with the ash generated at the coal based power station, Minister of State for Power and Commerce Jairam Ramesh said today.

The comments were made while appreciating National Thermal Power Corporation's efforts towards ash utilisation at a national workshop on ash utilisation to promote use of fly ash as a resource for high strength and durability of structures, at lower cost here.

Nearly 60 per cent of power in India is produced using coal as fuel. With the expected growth in power sector, it is expected that ash generation will touch 175 million tonne per annum by 2012.

In 2007-08, 23.7 million tonnes of ash generated in NTPC stations -- about 55.1 per cent of total ash generated during the year -- was utilised in the cement and asbestos industry, road embankment, mine filling, ash dyke raising and land development.

All NTPC coal based stations have pilot ash brick manufacturing plants. More than 446 million ash bricks have been manufactured at these plants till date. Out of these 70 million ash bricks have been utilised for various construction activities within NTPC in a year.

Power Secretary Anil Razdan and NTPC CMD R S Sharma also spoke.

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