Coal ash management progress: Duke Energy selects EPRI to launch coal ash recycling technology and market study

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Jul 16, 2015, 10:33 ET

CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Delivering on the company's commitment to safely reuse more coal ash, Duke Energy today announced that the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) will conduct a comprehensive study of the coal ash recycling market and available technologies.

Interest in safe reuse has expanded rapidly in recent months after the federal government re-affirmed that coal ash is not hazardous. This study, which is required by the N.C. Coal Ash Management Act of 2014, will be completed by mid-2016. It complements the ongoing work of a dedicated Duke Energy team to identify safe and viable options for coal ash.

The study results will be shared with the public and member organizations of EPRI.

"We think there is opportunity here. While we're already recycling approximately half of the ash produced across the company, we want to reuse even more," said George Hamrick, Duke Energy's vice president of coal combustion products. "Ash is a valuable construction material, often replacing cement in concrete products. This study will investigate reprocessing technologies to make ash more suitable for reuse as well as other recycling applications.

"With more than 30 years of experience conducting coal ash research, EPRI is a strong scientific and technical organization and well positioned to perform this study. Given recent state and federal coal ash regulations, this information will be important as utilities consider how to close ash basins across the nation and determine final storage and reuse solutions for the material."

This serves as another important milestone in the company's safe ash basin closure strategy.

The company continues to move ash from two plants in North Carolina (Asheville Plant in Arden and Riverbend Steam Station in Mt. Holly) and one in South Carolina (W.S. Lee Steam Station in Belton) to fully lined long-term storage locations.

Upon receiving necessary permits and approvals from state agencies, the company will remove ash from a total of 24 ash basins in the Carolinas.

To learn more about Duke Energy's ash management plans, visit duke-energy.com/ash-management.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy is the largest electric power holding company in the United States with approximately $121 billion in total assets. Its regulated utility operations serve approximately 7.3 million electric customers located in six states in the Southeast and Midwest. Its commercial power and international energy business segments own and operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing portfolio of renewable energy assets in the United States.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com.

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SOURCE Duke Energy