Alabama Power, Eco Material plan expected to recycle millions of tons of coal ash for beneficial use

Mobile, Alabama – Jan. 23, 2024 – Alabama Power and Eco Material Technologies have announced a plan for the continued beneficial use of coal ash byproduct at Plant Barry in Mobile County, Alabama. Through this collaboration, millions of tons of coal ash are expected to be harvested from Plant Barry and recycled to make construction materials, like concrete, across the Southeast. 

In recent years, demand for using coal ash to produce concrete has outpaced production. Harvesting coal ash from Plant Barry’s coal ash pond will provide a much-needed resource for the ash-in-concrete market. 

Since dry ash became available for reuse at Plant Barry in 2018, more than 680,000 tons of coal ash has been beneficially used from the site. 

“Alabama Power has a long history of recycling coal ash from its plants for beneficial use in products like concrete and other construction materials,” said Brandon Dillard, Alabama Power senior vice president and senior production officer, West Production Group. “We’re very pleased that this collaboration with Eco Material will expand our ability to harvest coal ash at the plant and contribute to development of materials that impact the growth of our state.”

Eco Material Technologies and its predecessor companies has decades of experience in the management of coal ash for beneficial use and has previously worked with Alabama Power to recycle coal ash from other power generation plants, including Plants Gaston, Gorgas and Miller. 

At Plant Barry, coal ash will be prepared for recycling using an on-site processing facility constructed, operated and maintained by Eco Material. The new facility is expected to be in service by January 2026. 

“Southern Company and its subsidiaries are a critical partner in Eco Material’s long-term strategy to invest in and upgrade sustainable sources of cementitious input materials to offset the high-intensive carbon emissions of the North American cement industry,” said Grant Quasha, CEO of Eco Material Technologies. “This collaboration with Alabama Power is a paragon for both the environment and concrete builders, and we should expect more companies across the country to follow Southern Company’s lead in the beneficial reuse of their fly ash for products like Green Cement.”

For nearly four decades, Alabama Power has beneficially used coal ash from its plants for use by the construction industry. More than 12 million tons of coal ash has been sold and recycled from Plants Gaston, Gorgas and Miller during that time, helping to meet the demand for coal ash in concrete production throughout the state of Alabama. 

About Alabama Power

Alabama Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO), America’s premier energy company, provides reliable, affordable electricity to 1.5 million customers across the state and has been named #1 for large electric utility business customer satisfaction in the south region, according to the J.D. Power 2023 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Survey℠. Learn more at alabamapower.com.

About Eco Material Technologies

Eco Material Technologies is the leading producer of sustainable cement alternatives in the U.S., serving over 4,000 unique customer locations from its 100+ sites across 45 states. The Company is the leading marketer and distributor of fly ash and other pozzolans, with the industry’s only true national footprint of logistics networks and distribution channels. Eco Material also has patented technology to convert fly ash and other materials into innovative, near-zero carbon building materials that react faster, match the one-day performance of, and after 28 days are approximately 20% stronger than traditional cement, all while reducing by approximately 99% the CO2 emissions that are traditionally associated with cement production. The Company also provides mission-critical utility services, including operations support, waste disposal and environmental remediation. For more information, visit www.ecomaterial.com.

 

Media Contact for Alabama Power:
Beth Thomas
enweathe@southernco.com
251-422-3331

Media Contact for Eco Material:
Matthew Cossel
ecomaterial@kcsa.com