The UK Quality Ash Association (UKQAA) has joined the Mineral Products Association (MPA) as an Affiliate Member. The agreement incorporates a range of planned collective activities leveraging the combined resources of the UKQAA and MPA to ensure that the United Kingdom maximises the potential of the extensive fly ash reserves to be found in single source deposits as a legacy of coal fired power production.

There are well over 100Mt of fly ash to be found in such deposits in defined boundaries within the UK and these have to potential to play a significant role in the future of the UK construction industry.

UKQAA Director, Nigel Cooke, said: "Affiliation to the MPA has the full support of all our members who recognise the depth of expertise within the MPA – especially with respect to minerals planning, the development of standards, materials testing and an extensive network of strategic partners in both the public and private sectors. All of which will be critical in the acceptance of single source deposits of coal fired power station fly ash as future pozzolanic (cementitious) mineral reserves."

MPA Chief Executive, Nigel Jackson, welcomed the UKQAA: "We are delighted to have the UKQAA and its members as Affiliates of the MPA.  We look forward to increasingly close collaboration on our common objectives to improve the sustainability of key mineral products and maximising the effective use of recycled and secondary materials."