Corporate Responsibility Report 2012

Fly Ash

Recycling fly ash at Genesee

Fly ash is produced as a byproduct from our facilities at Genesee, Roxboro and Southport. Fly ash from Genesee 1 and Genesee 2 can be used as an environmentally - friendly component in manufacturing concrete. Using one tonne of fly ash as a substitute for one tonne of Portland Cement in concrete, reduces carbon dioxide emissions (a greenhouse gas) by approximately one tonne in the manufacture of Portland Cement.

In 2012, the amount of ash produced slightly decreased due to the length of maintenance outages at our Genesee 3 facility.

At Genesee in 2012, just under 50% of the fly ash captured from Units 1 and 2 was sold to concrete companies to use in concrete production across western North America.

There was no demand for Genesee 3 fly ash as cementing product in 2012. The concrete setting time is not adequate when using Genesee 3 fly ash due to the lime injection scrubber technology used at Genesee 3 to remove sulfur compounds. We are working with labs to find a solution to this challenge.

Our goal is to sell 60% of the fly ash from Units 1 and 2 in 2013.


Ash Recycling and Disposal

Ash Recycling and Disposal (tonnes) - Ash volume

  2010 2011 2012
Ash volume created 1,005,000 1,300,000 1,226,000
Ash volume recycled 253,000 215,000 231,000
Ash volume land-filled 83,000 27,000 38,000
Ash volume mine-filled 669,000 1,058,000 957,000

Ash Recycling and Disposal (%) - Ash sold

  2010 2011 2012
Marketable fly ash sold (Genesee 1,2) 59% 48% 49%
Marketable fly ash sold (Genesee 3) 0.4% 0% 0%
Marketable bottom ash sold (Genesee 1,2) 12% 0% 3%
Marketable bottom ash sold (Genesee 3) 1% 0% 0%
Recycled ash sold (Genesee, all units) 27% 17% 19%

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