LafargeHolcim, Geocycle team up with CenterPoint Energy to recycle power plant coal ash

Chicago-based LafargeHolcim in the U.S, its subsidiary, Dundee, Michigan-based Geocycle, and Houston-based CenterPoint Energy Inc. have received their first barge shipment of power plant coal ash as part of a multi-year initiative to recover and recycle more than six million tons of coal ash for beneficial reuse in producing cement.

LafargeHolcim, the nation’s largest cement producer; Geocycle, a provider of sustainable waste management solutions; and CenterPoint Energy, which operates two coal-fired generation plants in southwestern Indiana, invested a combined $80 million in infrastructure to remove, process, transport, store and recycle the coal ash produced at CenterPoint Energy’s A.B. Brown generating station in Evansville, Indiana.

The recycled coal ash will be designated for use at LafargeHolcim’s flagship cement plant in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, thus reducing the cement plant’s consumption of natural materials, such as clay and sand.

“This milestone is a tangible example of how industry participants together can develop creative and efficient solutions that contribute to the circular economy. Together, LafargeHolcim, Geocycle and CenterPoint Energy will avoid landfilling for power plants and reduce the consumption of non-renewable raw materials. This is a clear win-win for people and our planet,” said Toufic Tabbara, CEO of US Cement for LafargeHolcim’s U.S. operations.

The teams recently achieved the first barge shipment of nearly 2,000 tons of the reclaimed material—containing mostly bottom ash with some fly ash—from the 165-acre pond at CenterPoint Energy’s A.B. Brown plant.

“Our multi-year initiative with LafargeHolcim and Geocycle has been the ideal solution as it has allowed for the material to be removed from the environment and used for beneficial purposes,” said Steve Greenley, senior vice president of Indiana Electric Operations for CenterPoint Energy. “CenterPoint Energy’s decision to recycle the coal ash has reduced the impact on the environment and allowed for a choice with less financial impact than other compliance options.” 

Since 2009, Geocycle has managed the ongoing supply of nearly 1.5 million tons of dry fly-ash waste from CenterPoint Energy’s A.B. Brown, F.B. Culley and Warrick generating stations for beneficial reuse at the Ste. Genevieve cement plant. This barge shipment represents the next phase in the long-term collaborative relationship between the companies.