By Faiza Tehseen ISLAMABAD, Mar 23 (INP-WealthPK): Pakistan has the potential to take full advantage of the economic value of coal combustion products (CCP). A huge quantity of the CCP is regularly produced in coal power generation plants. The CCP in the form of fly ash or bottom ash is an auspicious source to get rare earth elements (REEs) i.e., yttrium and other trace elements e.g. potash, gypsum. Typically, fly ash includes silicon (Si), aluminium (Al) and iron (Fe) and lesser amounts of oxides of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), titanium (Ti), sulphur (S). Quantity/presence of trace elements in the CCP can vary according to the geological conditions of coal mining area. Apart from the extraction of trace elements, it can be used to produce multiple economic products such as bricks, paving stones, masonry blocks, bricks, insulations. While talking to WealthPK, Yaqoob Shah, a renowned geologist retired from Pakistan Minerals Development Corporation (PMDC) and currently a consultant geologist, shared his views about coal ash utility. “Pakistan imports a huge quantity of potash fertilizer or its raw material. According to a research, potash found in coal combustion products (CCP) is viable enough to produce fertilizer. Even the CCP of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa coal shows 40% potash viability. Ash emissions of coal fired power plants can be processed to get potash. It will be helpful to cut short the import bill of potash to some extent,” he said. Assistant Director of the Geological Survey of Pakistan Yasir Shaheen told WealthPK that value added use of fly ash is important for economic development of Pakistan. “Globally, it is used in multiple industrial sectors i.e., fly ash constituents as wet-end filling are the best alternate to Kaolin clay to get high paper opacity. In the same way, the use of fly ash as partial replacement of plaster of Paris has shown standard consistency,” he said. Geologist Taj Muhammad from Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) said that globally the CCP is considered versatile in industrial uses. “As a pozzolan, it is used to produce hydraulic cement or plaster. While, in cement plants it can be used to manufacture Portland cement. The REEs are used to produce a variety of high-tech equipment as well,” he said. Speaking to WealthPK, Technical Engineer of DG Cement Coal Power Project Inam-Ullah said, “About 250 to 300 tons of coal feed produces 30MW power per hour. Ash produced after an hour is about 40 to 50 tons which is used in their own cement plant to produce cement. So, the cement coal power plants do not keep large ash emission ponds.” According to the ash management plans of Jamshoro coal power project, the CCP (fly ash & bottom ash) is deposited in ash ponds after converting into slurry. In Hub coal power project, the CCP is compacted in ash yards by using the fly ash curing agents. Dr Muhammad Aslam, Assistant Chief of National Fertilizer Development Centre (NFDC), told WealthPK that the annual demand for potash fertilizer in Pakistan is 70,000 metric tons. “In Pakistan, only 20,000 metric tons is produced, while other 50,000 tons is imported in raw or finished form. Due to import, it is too costly for farmers to buy it. Normally, the price of per 50kg bag is about Rs7,000. According to the condition of soil, half to one bag of 50kg is suggested for each hectare per annum. It is an important nutrient for plants to prevent reduction in root, seed and fruit development etc,” he said, adding, “Around 40% potash is a viable quantity to nourish the land. If it will be produced by using local sources, at least we will be able to save a good amount of foreign exchange.” Raeesur Rahman, Marketing Manager of Pacific Fertilizers Company Karachi, told WealthPK that Barkat fertilizer is the production of Pacific fertilizers. “It is the only potash manufacturing unit in Pakistan with a capacity of 20,000 MT per annum. In near future, its capacity is expected to reach at least 40,000 MT per annum. If, potash manufacturing raw material is available in Pakistan, it will help to decrease per bag cost which is expected to rise to somewhere between Rs7,000 to Rs8,000 per 50kg bag,” he said. Marketing Manager of Fauji Fertilizers Company (FFC) Aftab Naseem said that except the brand named Barkat fertilizers, all other companies are importing potash fertilizers in Pakistan. “It is found in two forms, Sulphate of Potash (SOP) and Muriate of Potash (MOP). If raw material to produce potash fertilizers is utilised, it will help decrease its market cost,” he said. In a discussion with WealthPK, Dr Amir Farooq, Director of the Implementation Section of the Environment Protection Department, Punjab, said that ash emissions from coal power plants are mostly used as landfills or they are disposed to ash yards. “They are too light weight to disperse in the air. So that at power plant, in an attached unit by cementation, they can be converted to useful materials e.g. pavement bricks or low-cost base materials for construction,” he said. In India, coal power plants are using the cementation techniques as a mandatory practice. “Right now, in Pakistan, no proper mechanism is used to dispose the coal ash. In case of ash yard deposits, coal ash is just occupying the place but to no worth at all. So, it is important that it must be used in a constructive way,” he said. Pakistan must focus on utilizing the coal ash emissions from coal fired power plants. It is not only good economically but will also help control the environmental effects. Sandia National Laboratories of New Mexico has successfully recovered REEs from the CCP, and the technique used there is environment friendly as it reduces toxicity.