RockTron recycled eco-mineral products help cut costs and carbon footprint
(25/05/2009)

Over 2 Billion tonnes of coal-fired power station waste, called fly ash or PFA - pulverised fuel ash - waste is dumped in landfills and other sites around the world, with over 100 million tonnes in the UK alone. RockTron's new UK plant located at Fiddler’s Ferry, near Widnes in Cheshire is now online, transforming 800,000 tonnes of fly ash each year into valuable eco-minerals on an industrial scale.

It is a clean and closed process designed to recycle both fresh and stockpiled fly ash, representing a fundamental advantage over previous technologies. As a direct result, RockTron has solved the problems of large-scale waste storage and removal while conserving valuable natural resources and helping some of the worst offending industries cut their CO2 emissions. Fly ash mountains and landfills will no longer be required, enabling site remediation and improvement of the local environment.

RockTron’s proprietary process offers a consistent year-round supply of five new eco-minerals:

1. & 2. Two Alumino-silicates called Alpha and Delta (solid glass spheres): offer the single biggest environmental opportunity to cut CO2 emissions in cement and concrete manufacturing worldwide! Every tonne of cement currently produces approximately 0.82 tonnes of CO2 (more than 5% of annual man-made CO2).

Using 500,000 tonnes of RockTron eco-minerals instead, on a one to one basis with that of CEM1 (cement) could save over 400,000 tonnes of CO2 p.a. in the UK alone! End products can be more cost-effective, more durable and contain a lower embodied energy. They can also last longer, growing stronger over time and allow manufacturers to claim a higher “green performance” premium.

3. Cenospheres (hollow glass spheres) that will deliver weight reduction in aviation and automotive industries without compromising on safety, strength, or performance.

4. High Purity Carbon, for re-burning in power stations or use in filtration. RockTron recovers 3 times as much energy as it consumes, returning up to 2.5 million gigajoules of energy to the national grid.

5. Spherical Magnetite, never before available for environmental protection applications such as RFI/EMI shielding to protect people and valuable industrial and consumer electronic equipment, such as mobile phones and specialist shielding polymers. *(radio frequency & electromagnetic interference)

“The Environment has slipped off the boardroom agenda, as companies look for ways to regain their competitive advantage in this very difficult economic climate. RockTron’s new 100% recycled eco-mineral products will increase our customers’ margins; help cut their costs and their carbon footprint” said Lord Wade, Chairman of RockTron Limited.