HCMC – Tra Vinh Province in southern Vietnam is grappling with a mounting stockpile of coal fly ash, prompting Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha to request a report on the matter.
The demand followed a government meeting chaired by the deputy prime minister on June 24, which focused on addressing hurdles faced by major transportation projects in southern Vietnam.
The ash at the Duyen Hai Power Center has been certified for use in construction but remains largely unused, accumulating to 3.8 million tons. Despite annual certification confirming the ash meets safety standards, demand from cement and concrete manufacturers has dipped this year.
In 2022-2023, the utilization rate of the ash was 90-95%, but it dropped to 80% in the first four months of 2024. Most of the ash is sold to cement and concrete manufacturers. However, the 3.8 million tons stored at the site have seen little demand, reported Thanh Nien news site thanhnien.vn.
An auction in late 2021 for one million tons of ash as filling material fetched over VND17 billion, but only 20,000 tons has been utilized.
Experts cite investor hesitation and stringent environmental regulations as factors behind the low usage rate. These regulations, including water leakage prevention measures, make fly ash less competitive than other filling materials.
