Aggregate Industries and Coomtech receive grant to advance pfa plans

Aggregrate Industries has partnered with clean technology firm Coomtech as it creates a road map to net zero by 2030. The construction materials supplier has received a grant from the UK government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

The grant allows Aggregate Industries to use Coomtech’s innovative Kinetic Drying technology and the reclamation of pulverised fuel ash (pfa) from landfill to develop this new cement product. Using managed turbulent air, Coomtech’s Kinetic Driers remove surface moisture by shearing the water from particle surfaces, keeping the air and moisture separate from the dried particles that go to storage, transport or directly into processing.
 
Aggregate Industries is using this technology to remove moisture from recycled pfa, as it seeks to decarbonise its processes and implement a circular economy business model. In its new sustainability strategy ‘Building Progress for a Sustainable Future  Aggregate Industries has committed to increasing its use of recycled materials from 1.5 to 3Mt by 2025 and reduce waste to landfill to zero. The use of reclaimed PFA supports this transition.
 
Chris Every, chief commercial officer and a founder of Coomtech, said: “We’re delighted to have the support of Aggregate Industries in this grant project. Coomtech is especially pleased to have the business’ ongoing technical and commercial input to the project operation and analysis of performance. In addition, the opportunity to work together with a brand that is leading the way in creating new materials that will prove fundamental to the future of the construction sector and meet net zero objectives.
 
“The added benefit of our new drying technology is its flexibility - providing the potential to dry a wide range of materials being considered to aid the greening of the cement industry, including, limestone, round blastfurnace slag, natural pozzolans, and other crushed and milled minerals that can offer an activated character to combine in cement and concrete mixes.”
 
Barry Mellor, dementitious materials manager at Aggregate Industries, adds: “The partnership with Coomtech allows us to move towards the sustainable targets we’ve committed to as a business. Its innovative Kinetic Drying technology enables us to create a new cement product using reclaimed pfa, which would otherwise sit in landfill. Traditional methods of drying pfa would use a high amount of energy, thus recycling this material, combined with a low energy drying process, results in a product which offers an overall reduction in energy, CO₂ and carbon footprint.
 
“As we seek to move towards a circular economy, utilising products such as PFA which would otherwise sit in landfill is a really ground-breaking move forward for our business and the industry.”

The grant is managed by Innovate UK and is part of support funding for major industries to meet the country’s net zero targets.