NEW DELHI — India is exploring avenues to export its excess stocks of fly ash to markets in the Gulf and the rest of the Arab world.

The state-run National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) this week invited Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the export of fly ash specifically from the GCC and Arab countries through tender. The tender application, which is now open, will close on 25th July, the Ministry of Power said in a press release.

Fly ash, a by-product from electricity generation in thermal power plants, is used in road-building and is a sturdy raw material in constructing flyovers. It is widely used by the cement industry and in the manufacture of bricks and tiles for various construction purposes.

Under the norms set by India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, it is mandatory that thermal plants should utilize the entire by-product of fly ash from thermal plants from their fourth year of operation.

India has a creditable record of using all its output of fly ash, mainly in its massive road-building projects and its sprawling construction industry. India has 101 power plants that generate fly ash that are monitored by the Central Electricity Authority. Penalties are imposed on them by the government if these power plants are unable to put all their fly ash to productive use.

Demand for fly ash from domestic industries that use the by-product came down drastically after the COVID-19 outbreak last year. Such demand fell further during the second wave of the pandemic in India in the last two months. NTPC recently held a competition on the innovative utilization of fly ash.

NTPC, India’s largest integrated power producer, is endeavoring towards one hundred percent utilization of fly ash by inviting EOIs for export of fly ash to the Middle East, the Ministry of Power said. It has earmarked 14.5 million tonnes of fly ash for export this year. — WAM