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Fly ash from Kruger mill used as cement alternative

Kruger Inc. was presented with the 2013 Green Innovation Award at the 23rd gala of the Association pour le développement de la recherche et de l’innovation du Québec (Québec association for research and innovation…

Kruger Inc. was presented with the 2013 Green Innovation Award at the 23rd gala of the Association pour le développement de la recherche et de l’innovation du Québec (Québec association for research and innovation development – ADRIQ) held in Montréal on November 21. The award was given to Kruger’s Publication Papers Division in recognition of a project that reuses fly ash produced by the cogeneration plant at its newsprint mill in Brompton, Que.

To date, the Brompton facility is the first and only facility in Canada that has had cogeneration fly ash certified as a cement substitute.

The Brompton Mill has been producing electricity and steam from paper residue and other biomass sources at its cogeneration plant since 2007. This green process significantly reduces the mill’s GHG emissions.

Managers at Kruger’s cogeneration plant worked on a research project for three years in order to find an option for reusing cogeneration fly ash. The research was performed in partnership with the University of Sherbrooke’s Civil Engineering Department.

The project, funded by the Québec Ministry of Natural Resources and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, demonstrated that cogeneration fly ash could be used as a cement alternative for various industrial applications. The researchers showed that up to 20% of cement could be replaced with fly ash for making concrete, without compromising the finished product’s quality or durability.

Not only does this discovery open the way to substantial savings for concrete manufacturers, but it has also helped to significantly reduce the amount of landfilled waste.

Kruger Inc. is a major producer of publication papers, tissue, lumber and other wood products, corrugated cartons from recycled fibres, green and renewable energy, and wines and spirits.