As construction activity increases in the Siberian regions, demand for fly ash, a fine-dispersed component for the production of construction materials, is growing. Its use helps reduce production costs without sacrificing quality. Since the beginning of 2023, thermal power stations in Novosibirsk and Barnaul have increased their fly-ash sales.
For 7 months of 2023, SGC thermal power plants in the Siberian Federal District sold almost 82 thousand tonnes of fly ash - coal combustion by-product. This is 9% more than in the same period of 2022.
Two plants showed the main increase in sales volumes: thermal power station in Novosibirsk- by 19 %, and Barnaul – by 17 %.
Novosibirsk plant started supplying fly ash under new agreements to concrete producers. Reinforced concrete and concrete products plants in Kemerovo, Tomsk and in Novosibirsk increased their orders from the thermal power station by a total of 37% in 2023.
Thermal power station in Barnaul sold 2.6 thousand tonnes more of its by-product. The result was provided by the cooperation of Siberian Coal Energy Company in Altai region with local concrete and reinforced concrete producers.
Construction materials producers are trying to substitute cement to reduce production costs while maintaining the same quality of the finished product
According to Anastasia Efremova, head of the department for ash and slag materials sales of the West Siberian branch of SGC, the main consumers of dry fly ash are producers of aerated concrete blocks, concrete, reinforced concrete products, asphalt waterproofing, arbolite and concrete blocks and cement.
"Construction materials manufacturers are now trying to substitute cement, or produce supplementary cement using fly ash. This is done to reduce production costs without losing the quality of the finished product. For standard Portland cement with mineral additives, the price increase in the Siberian Federal District was about 10% this year," says Anastasia Efremova.
Sibcem Holding Company's Krasnoyarsk Cement plant has significantly increased its fly ash purchases - more than threefold - to 4.6 thousand tonnes since the beginning of 2023. The company itself notes growing consumer demand for Portland cement with mineral additives and is commissioning new production facilities.
In total, by the end of 2023, SGC aims to sell about 600 thousand tonnes of fly ash across the entire group of companies.
