A SCOTTISH facility for the production of lower carbon cement from landfill has been awarded £500,000 by Zero Waste Scotland.
The new site near Lanark, South Lanarkshire, will create a sustainable form of pulverised fuel ash (PFA), which is a key ingredient in cement.
The industrial-scale facility will be able to process 20,000 tonnes of incineration fly, cyclone and boiler ash to create the PFA.
The site is being launched by Innovative Ash Solutions, a 50/50 joint venture between Levenseat Limited and Organic Innovative Solutions Limited (IAS).
The award is from Zero Waste Scotland’s Circular Economy Investment Fund.
IAS secured end-of-waste status from SEPA earlier this year for this PFA replacement product.
Strathclyde University’s Civil & Environmental Engineering Department and Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC) were partners in the project.
The product was also short-listed as a finalist in the 2021 National Recycling Awards.
The new PFA diverts waste materials from landfill and avoids the use of virgin sand.
Compared with imported PFA, the new product is both cheaper and has a reduced environmental impact.
IAS has already secured letters of interest for over 60,000 tonnes of its new product and an additional feedstock contract.
The production facility is due to be commissioned by the end of 2022.
It will eventually cut carbon emissions by up to 6,104 tonnes a year, the equivalent of 2,847 commercial flights or 3,260 cars on the road.
IAS Director Robert Green said the “significant award” will “enable us to scale production of the innovative PFA replacement”.
He added: “Our product not only provides a cheaper concrete option, it also means lower emission concrete production using materials diverted from landfill sites.
“This provides a win-win scenario for construction companies which are facing rising costs and additional pressures to lower their carbon footprint.”
Trade Minister Ivan McKee said: “Today’s award underlines the Scottish Government’s support for collaborations between business and academia to achieve sustainable construction solutions and develop Scottish supply chains.”
Jill Farrell, Director, Customer Engagement and Communciations, at Zero Waste Scotland, said: “We’re committed to helping businesses, such as Innovative Ash Solutions and its partners, in developing bold, ingenious, and sustainable construction solutions that reduce the demand for and waste of virgin materials.
“Innovative companies in Scotland are truly leading the way in finding solutions to some of our biggest challenges in the construction industry.”
