A review meeting chaired by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw discusses large-scale rail-based transportation of fly ash from thermal power plants to industrial end-users.
Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw chaired a review meeting to discuss a green initiative aimed at enabling large-scale transportation of fly ash through the railway network, with Union Ministers of State for Railways V. Somanna and Ravneet Singh Bittu also present. The initiative envisages the creation of a dedicated logistics network comprising specialised containers and rail corridors to transport fly ash from thermal power plants to industries where it can be used for road construction, brick manufacturing, cement production and broader infrastructure development. India’s thermal power plants generate nearly 340 million tonnes of fly ash annually.
Fly ash is a recognised raw material for cement, concrete, blocks and boards, and its wider industrial use supports circular economy objectives by converting a power sector by-product into a productive construction input. The rail-based transportation model is expected to enable cleaner and more efficient movement of fly ash compared to road-based alternatives, reducing environmental impact and lowering input costs for industries dependent on fly ash as a raw material.
Source: Press Information Bureau (PIB)
