ECO-technology group RockTron (Asia) Sdn Bhd is looking at investing between MYR100m and MYR200m to build a recycling fly ash plant locally.

The ashes will be collected from Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s (TNB) proposed 1000MW coal-fired plant to be built at its existing site in Manjung, Perak, Malysia that is projected to be ready in 2015.

Yesterday, both parties signed an agreement to conduct a feasibility study in finding a commercial and sustainable solution for recycling ash into industrial eco-minerals.

The pact was sealed at the International Greentech and Eco Products Exhibition and Conference 2010 in Kuala Lumpur.

Also present were Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Datuk Sri Peter Chin Fah Kui, TNB president and chief executive officer Dato Sri Che Khalib Mohamed and RockTron Asia executive chairman Datuk Yazid Baba.

"We are eyeing to build our plant near TNB’s site in Manjung and looking at the possibility of transferring the ashes directly via conveyor belt to be recycled in our plant. This will not require us to use trucks to transfer the ashes," RockTron managing director Yazleen Yazid said.

Once TNB’s new plant is completed, it is projected to produce between 100,000 and 200,000tpa of ashes. Currently, ashes from its coal plant are sold to cement companies.

About 2Mt of fly ash are produced in the country annually. While some are reused, the remaining are stored in ash ponds.

"RockTron technology provides a vital solution to this issue as it recycles fly ash into valuable eco-minerals. Our technology has the potential to reduce global man-made carbon dioxide emission by up to two per cent with its recycled eco-minerals," said Yazleen.

The technology is developed in the UK and RockTron group’s existing plant in Cheshire has the capacity to process up to 800,000tpa of fly ash.

Among the products that can be produced from recycling the ashes are MinTron, which is used as fillers in coatings, plastic and rubber in hi-tech industries, CenTron used in lightweight fillers and coatings and MagTron used in sound absorption applications.

Based on the expected growing demand for environmentally-friendly products and services, RockTron is looking at expanding internationally with plans to build factories in other parts of Asia as well as the US and Europe.