65 Million Tonnes of Coal Combustion Products in Europe - ECOBA statistics for EU 15 countries for 2003 released
The "European Coal Combustion Products Association e.V." (ECOBA) is carrying out an annual survey on production and utilization of CCPs by their European members. The statistics cover the data of the EU 15 countries, as for the prodcution and utilisation of CCPs in new EU member states mostly estimates are available.
Approximately 65 million tonnes of CCPs were produced in 2003 in the European Union (EU 15). Compared to 2002, about 1,5 million tons of CCPs were produced in addition due to higher generation of electricity and steam in coal and lignite fired power plants. In the new EU member states more than 30 million tonnes of CCPs are produced in addtion.
In EU 15 countries, almost 68 % of the total CCPs are produced as fly ash. All combustion residues amount up to 81.9 % and FGD residues up to 18.1 % by mass. - Around 89 % of the CCPs were utilized in the building industry, for construction work in underground coal mining as well as for recultivation and restoration purposes in open cast mining. Applications for CCPs include their use as an addition to concrete and as constituent and raw material for cement. Furthermore they are used as an aggregate or binder in road construction, as mineral fillers and as fertilisers. Where necessary, CCPs meet relevant national and European building materials standards and regulations. About 8% of the CCPs produced were temporarily stockpiled as a raw material for future utilization and only and 3.7 % had to be disposed off.
In the majority of cases CCPs are used as a replacement for naturally occurring resources and therefore offer environmental benefits by avoiding the need to quarry or mine these resources. CCPs also help to reduce energy demand as well as emissions to atmosphere, for example CO2, which result from the manufacturing process of the products which are replaced.
Joachim Feuerborn from 2005-04-01