Ash2Salt technology deployed in Sweden

The EasyMining subsidiary of Sweden-based Ragn-Sells has opened what it calls the world’s first facility for recycling of commercial salts from fly ash generated from waste-to-energy or waste incinerator operations.

The plant, located in Upplands-Bro, Sweden, was ramped up this month and is based on EasyMining’s Ash2Salt technology. That process extracts salts with a 90 percent lower climate footprint compared to traditional methods of salt production, according to EasyMining.

Ragn-Sells describes fly ash as being formed when flue gases from waste incineration for cogeneration of heat and power are cleaned. “The ash is a hazardous waste but also contains large amounts of valuable raw materials such as potassium, sodium and calcium in salt form,” the company says.

“This is the first of hopefully many facilities based on our technology,” says Anna Lundbom, chief marketing officer at EasyMining. “We see a global trend where more and more people want to increase the utilization of resources in energy recovery from waste.

“Our main supplier, Hitachi Zosen Inova, has signed an agreement with us to exclusively sell the Ash2Salt technology in about 12 countries around the world.”

Via the Ash2Salt technology, as much as 200 kilograms (441 pounds) of salt per metric ton of ash can be extracted and used in applications including fertilizer and road salt, Ragn-Sells says. The harvested salt’s climate footprint is one-tenth of “traditionally produced salt,” the firm adds, and in the process, heavy metals also are removed from circulation.

“EasyMining’s and Ragn-Sells’ solution for extracting valuable salts from fly ash complements our offering to customers very well,” says Giovanna Chiara, a senior sales manager at Hitachi Zosen Inova. “We already see great interest, and now with an actual plant up and running more people can come and see how the process works in practice.”

Even before the April plant inauguration, Ragn-Sells says it “has experienced strong interest in the new plant, with several ash producers having signed agreements for treating fly ash with the Ash2Salt solution.”