On March 25th, the Conference on promoting ash and slag consumption solutions at coal-fired power plants of EVN is held in Binh Thuan Province. Mr. Nguyen Tai Anh - Deputy General Director of Vietnam Electricity (EVN) in charge of presiding over the Conference. Participants also include representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and other leaders of departments, divisions and localities of Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan provinces, representatives of EVNGENCO1, 2, 3, coal-fired power plants and representatives of ash and slag consumption contractors.
Conference scene
There are many ash and slag consumption solutions at thermal power plants
Reporting at the Conference, Mr. Ta Tuan Anh - Deputy Manager of the Engineering and Production Department of EVN said that EVN currently owns 12 coal-fired power plants with a total installed capacity of 12,678MW. On an annual average, thermal power plants consume about 35-40 million tons of coal, equivalent to about 7-10 million tons of generated ash and slag. In 2021, the total volume of generated ash and slag is 7.34 million tons, and the total consumption volume is 6.89 million tons, accounting for 94% of the generated volume. The ash and slag consumption rate in 2021 reached the highest level since 2015. In recent years, the ash and slag consumption rate in regions has increased gradually over the years, especially in the Northern Provinces and from Thanh Hoa Province. For the Southern Provinces from Nghe An to Tra Vinh, the consumption volume has increased but still cannot meet the requirements of EVN.
Sharing about the consumption of ash and slag at Vinh Tan Power Center, Mr. Le Viet Duc - Deputy Director of Vinh Tan Thermal Power Company (as a unit of EVNGENCO3) said that the volume of ash and slag at the Vinh Tan Power Center is about 03 million tons/year. Currently, EVN, EVNGENCO3 and plants have selected and signed short and long-term contracts on the consumption of ash and gypsum with partners, actively seeking new markets for ash and slag consumption, and transporting by sea and using ash and slag as the road foundation, using ash slag as a leveling material in construction areas.
Mr. Le Viet Duc - Deputy Director of Vinh Tan Thermal Power Company is making his speech at the Conference
Sharing opinions at the Conference, Mr. Nguyen Tai Anh - Deputy General Director of EVN said that, in recent years, the Prime Minister has paid special attention to ash and slag consumption solutions of thermal power plants, promoting the treatment and use of ash, slag and gypsum of the thermal power plants. In addition, thanks to the drastic direction of ministries and branches and positive supports of localities where coal-fired power plants are located and the great cooperation of partners, EVN's coal-fired power plants have achieved long strides in ash and slag consumption. The consumption rate is increased up to 94% in 2021 compared to 33% in 2015. Furthermore, EVN has been very proactive in implementing comprehensive solutions. Currently, all EVN's thermal power plants have obtained ash and slag quality certificates according to Vietnamese standards for use as construction materials, unburnt materials, additives, leveling materials, and roadbed materials, meeting all environmental regulations and are considered as “common industrial solid waste” and also managed like general commodities under the regulations of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
Mr. Hoang Thanh Nam - Deputy Director of Science and Technology Department, Ministry of Transport is making his speed at the Conference
At the Conference, representatives of the Ministries of Construction, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Industry and Trade, and many other construction material experts have highly appreciated EVN's ash and slag treatment solutions in the past time and also assessed that the ash slag market is still very potential in terms of construction materials, materials for firing frames, leveling, and concrete. Representatives of ministries and branches generally agree with the recommendations of EVN and coal-fired power plants.
Strive to consume all ash and slag by 2023
Deputy General Director Mr. Nguyen Tai Anh of EVN said “The ash and slag consumption market will grow strongly. In addition to traditional markets that use ash and slag as construction materials, additives, unburnt materials, new markets using ash and slag as leveling materials will increase with the economic development of localities, requiring up to tens of millions of cubic meters of leveling material for traffic works in the coming time. In addition, the export market of ash and slag to foreign countries is also being tested and implemented. The goal of consuming 100% of generated ash and slag is completely achievable in the coming time”.
Mr. Nguyen Tai Anh - Deputy General Director of EVN is speaking at the Conference
To achieve the goal of consuming all ash and slag generated from thermal power plants in 2023, EVN proposes the Prime Minister to consider and approve preferential policies, especially the use of ash and slag to further promote the ash and slag consumption rate at Vinh Tan Power Center in particular and all coal-fired power plants of the country in general. EVN also proposes that the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Construction shall early issue guidance on norms, unit prices, construction and acceptance of projects using ash and slag sources of thermal power plants in traffic and construction works; considering and proposing statements to ministries, departments, branches and especially People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to support and implement ash and slag consumption solutions in construction and traffic works; completing Vietnamese standards related to the use of ash and slag as materials for leveling and road foundation.
In the long term, EVN proposes the Prime Minister to direct relevant State management agencies in promulgating policies for investors of traffic projects and construction works to receive and use ash and slag sources as leveling materials, highway foundations that developed countries in the world have applied.
EVN also proposes the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Construction to early issue guidelines on norms, unit prices, construction and acceptance of projects using ash and slag in traffic and construction works; considering and proposing suggestions to ministries, departments, branches and especially People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to support and implement ash and slag consumption solutions in construction and transportation works; completing Vietnamese standards relating to the use of ash and slag as leveling material and road foundations. The People's Committees of Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan provinces are required to care, support, guide and direct local departments and agencies to facilitate EVN's units in promoting the use of ash and slag that are stored in generally-used areas, especially solutions related to the use of ash and slag in traffic, construction and leveling works in these two provinces.
For ash and slag consumption contractors, EVN commits to strictly follow orientations and criteria for selecting partners to process and consume ash and slag in the long term. EVN's thermal power plants shall facilitate contractors within the plant's scope to receive, transport and consume ash and slag generated. Typically, Vinh Tan 2 Thermal Power Plant and Duyen Hai Thermal Power Plant have upgraded the oil port to receive ash and slag transport vessels by the seaway. Currently, Vinh Tan 4 Thermal Power Plant is also studying and supplementing the seaport planning to export ash and slag by the seaway. Contractors are required to use the correct volume of ash and slag as committed according to signed agreements.
Source: EVN
