ANNOUNCEMENTS
Power sector is the most crucial component for economic growth in both developed as well as developing countries. The most adopted source of power generation in India is coal due to abundance of coal reserves. The coal used by the Coal-based thermal power plants in India have very low calorific value and high ash content which results in generation of surplus amount of fly ash. There has been introduction of strict policies and technologies to promote effective utilization of fly ash and avoid its indiscriminate disposal into the environment which can lead to pollution and human health risks. Fly ash is now considered as a value-added by-product due to its elemental properties which can be used for various purposes like cement production, bricks and concrete production, mine filling, road/flyover construction, agriculture etc. Even though the policies and technologies have been initiated for effective utilization of fly ash, the industries still face enormous amount of challenges while handling fly ash which is produced in uncontrollable manner. The target of 100% utilization of fly ash as mentioned in the Fly ash notification, 1999 (2016 amendment) has not been achieved yet in India.
This research paper aims to examine the current scenario of fly ash generation and utilization in India through a comparative analysis of trends before and after the Fly ash notification, 1999 came into effect and identify the challenges faced towards utilization of fly ash like low quality coal, high transportation cost etc. The opportunities like adoption of Ash Fund, alternate modes of utilization, better techniques and advanced technologies towards better management of fly ash to achieve 100% utilization has been looked upon. Furthermore, evaluation of regulatory amendments and utilization trends in other countries has also been assessed as a part of this study.
Keywords: Coal-based thermal power plants, Fly Ash, By-product, Calorific Value, Ash Fund
