EKOTECH Group received a distinction awarded by the magazine Nowy Przemysł and the website wnp.pl – “Nowy Impuls 2018”. The company’s contribution to building a circular economy was appreciated.

On September 26 at the International Congress Centre in Katowice, the editorial board of the magazine Nowy Przemysł and the website wnp.pl awarded a distinction “Nowy Impuls 2018” to EKOTECH Group for the production of hydraulic binders based on ashes from coal-based power industry. The decision was made after consultations with experts and authorities of the Polish power sector.

The jury deciding whether to award the distinction appreciated the fact that the company’s activities significantly contribute to building a circular economy. It has been noticed that the use of ashes from coal-based power industry in construction involves a group of technologies that constitute a proven and effective example of a circular economy operating within the framework of energy services. Also, the company’s results in the scope of conducted activities contributed to the distinction: in 2017 the EKOTECH Group sold 250 thousand tonnes of hydraulic binders. Since the beginning of its existence (1992) the company collected approx. 10 million tonnes of ashes from power stations, combining economically effective activity with a pro-environmental aspect, which is particularly important in the realities of the Polish power industry dominated by coal sources. A broad range of areas in which products manufactured by Ekotech are used, among others transport infrastructure construction (road and railway), hydrotechnical construction and general construction (terrain leveling, production of binders) turned out to be meaningful, as well.

The objective of the Nowy Impuls initiative is to indicate activities which contribute to guiding the Polish energy economy towards the path consistent with the idea of sustainable development, rational use of resources, simultaneously increasing technical reliability and optimisation of economic indicators. This year, the slogan “Effective energy” was particularly emphasised; operations of EKOTECH Group are consistent with this slogan and reflect it to the fullest extent.

The formula of this year’s edition of Nowy Impuls is very open and capacious. We are interested in: organisational models and solutions, technological innovations, more efficient, more modern, more environmentally friendly production installations, devices and systems reducing energy losses, enabling better management of its consumption, improving distribution and transmission, supporting stability of supply and security, supporting energy market mechanisms, allowing better use of traditional or alternative fuels. Conclusions made from research concerning new models and solutions working in the energy industry will be developed in the form of a report which will constitute a comprehensive forecast for the sector.

“The Nowy Impuls 2018 distinction constitutes a confirmation for us that our operations are not only noticed and appreciated, but they can actually affect the development of the Polish energy sector guiding it towards a circular economy, which is more environmentally-friendly”, said Kamil Szczygielski, President of the Management Board of EKOTECH Group.

The EKOTECH Group will continue its cooperation with the Sports Club Pałac Bydgoszcz – by prolonging the sponsorship agreement it remains among the club’s main sponsors.

The team of Pałac Bydgoszcz was founded in 1982, since the beginning of the 90s it ranks in the volleyball first league. In the new season, the senior team will be led by a new coach – Piotr Matela. Current information about the team can be found on the new Instagram team profile.

“We are pleased by the successes of the Bydgoszcz Palace players and those smaller and larger, but the real satisfaction gives us the awareness that our support contributes to promoting the idea of ​​sport, in particular among children and adolescents. Supporting broadly understood physical culture is one of the important areas of corporate social responsibility of the EKOTECH Group. This is mainly because we like sports and we are happy to even symbolically support activities motivating kids to physical activity. With great optimism, we look at such Club initiatives as invitations to train young volleyball players and volleyball players” – Kamil Szczygielski, CEO of the EKOTECH Group

Until the start of the new season 2018/2019, which opens in November there are a few more weeks ahead, but already in September the team has three friendly tournaments planned: in Poznań, Świecie and Bobolice.

The first match in women’s volleyball league 2018/2019 will be played by the girls in Lodz with local LKS on November 3^rd .

From the beginning of 2018, the EKOTECH Group managed 250,000 tonnes of coal ashes, producing from them, among others 100,000 tonnes of TEFRA® hydraulic binder. In this way, the company helps to solve the growing problem of managing ashes deposited in the landfill at coal-fired power plants. Its scale is confirmed by the fact that already 5 years ago, the annual production of ash and other minerals from combustion in Polish power plants exceeded 20 million tonnes.

According to global estimates, only 60 percent of the by-products of combustion (CCPs) produced by the global energy industry are subject to re-use. The remaining 40 percent it is deposited in the landfills, creating a burden for the environment as well as power plants, paying for their protection and maintenance. In the case of Poland, the CCPs development coefficient is even lower. The EKOTECH GROUP solves this problem by converting ash into hydraulic binders – a cheaper and more environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional products such as concrete and cement.

“The production of Portland clinker, which is a component of cement, requires very high temperatures. As a result, the entire manufacture process is energy-consuming and generates high air pollution. Producing one tonne of cement accounts for approximately 700 kg of CO₂ emitted to the atmosphere. The production of TEFRA® does not involve any additional CO₂ emissions, apart from the one associated with the burning of coal in the power plant. Put simply: the power plant does its work by burning coal and producing energy, and we process what remains from this combustion process“- explains Kamil Szczygielski, CEO of the EKOTECH GROUP.

TEFRA® binders improve the load-bearing capacity of the substrate, so that they can provide the ground for road, railway or large format facilities (such as, for example, factory halls). TEFRA® is also used in hydrotechnical construction (improving the parameters of embankments). Thanks to the high efficiency of the production installation, binders are produced on the site of the power plant when there is a demand for it. The ash goes directly to the production installation and from it the finished product is transported directly to the construction site.

Plans for the second quarter of 2018

The production of TEFRA® increased by 25% compared to the same period of the previous year. In the second half of 2018, the delivery of 150,000 tonnes of TEFRA® was already contracted. Thanks to that, 75 thousand tonnes of CO₂ less will get into the atmosphere, and 250 thousand tonnes of ash instead of landfill will go to the construction site. Processing of ashes brings benefits not only for the environment and the construction industry, but also for the power industry.

“Ashes deposition is associated not only with a high environmental burden and landscape degradation. It is also a huge problem for power plants that have to pay for maintenance and protection of landfills, pay tax on land on which these ash heaps are located, and tax on storage. We remove this burden from energy companies, processing ash right away in the power plant. Savings on this account are several million zlotys a year.”- said Kamil Szczygielski.

To celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the Club of Rome, a reactive think-tank dealing with contemporary socio-economic problems, the Polish version of the report “Come On!” saw the daylight – The last publication of the Club. The authors focus on political and social solutions that, in the era of growing social tensions and the ongoing degradation of the natural environment, are to lead to more sustainable development.

The Polish edition of the report entitled „Ejże! Kapitalizm, krótkowzroczność, populacja i zniszczenie planety” is a join undertaking of the Institute of Applied Research of the Warsaw University of Technology and the EKOTECH Group, which is the patron of the publication. “Our activity is in line with the assumptions of a sustainable economy, which is also mentioned by the authors of the Report. That we decided to get involved in publishing the Polish edition of the Report, hoping that it will contribute to the promotion of the idea of a more sustainable industry and conscious consumption.” – said Kamil Szczygielski, CEO of the EKOTECH Group.

The work was edited by dr Anders Wijkman and Ernst von Weizsäcker. Dr Anders Wijkman from 2012 is a co-chairman – together with Professor Ernst von Weizsäcker – of the Club of Rome; Chair of the Governing Board of Association Climate-KIC – public-private partnership at the EU level, dealing with promoting innovation in a low-carbon society. Ernst von Weizsäcker is a biologist, a leading German expert in resource efficiency, involved in scientific and political activities.
The publication is an overview of current trends and mechanisms prevailing in the economy and politics, global challenges such as overpopulation in the world and the need to stop its growth. The authors also ask questions about whether humanity has already missed the opportunity to meet climate goals. They also refer to problems related to the implementation of a sustainable economy. In addition to general questions, they also propose specific solutions, such as, for example, alternative measures relating to GDP.

As the Report’s authors point out, “in order to be able to meet the Paris goals, the world must undergo a rapid and in-depth transformation of its production and consumption systems. To avoid exceeding the 2°C target, the global coal’s carbon intensity must be reduced by at least 6.2% per year.”

The Publisher is involved in the distribution of the Report: Institute of Applied Research of the Warsaw University of Technology. If you are interested, please contact: biuro@ibs.pw.edu.pl

 

About the Club of Rome

The Club of Rome is an independent, non-governmental non-profit NGO organization, the international think tank type. As they write about themselves: “It bases its own experience on the knowledge of its members. People from all regions of the world, different cultures and histories, from different fields of science, public order and from academic centers, civil society and the corporate sector. Since its inception (fifty years ago), it has been developing models of interdisciplinary analysis, dialogue and action in the fundamental systemic challenges that are necessary in determining the future of humanity. ”

 

Compared to 2016, the sales of TEFRA® binders increased by 20%, reaching its highest level since the product was first launched on the market. The EKOTECH Group has also recorded an increase in turnover which totaled PLN 70m, up by 29% compared to the previous year.

The EKOTECH Group’s turnover has been steadily rising for years. In 2016, it totaled PLN 50m, and in 2015 – PLN 30m. “For the time being, we have secured a contract for the supply of 180k tonnes of TEFRA® binders in 2018. The demand for our product is fully satisfied by two production facilities at the Konin power plant with the production capacity of 215 tonnes per hour,” says Kamil Szczygielski, EKOTECH CEO. Because the TEFRA® products are based on the by-product of hard coal combustion, no additional carbon dioxide emissions are present in their production, which is not the case in the production of cement and lime. Thus, with the introduction of TEFRA® binders on the market, we have been able to avoid 450–500 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.

Through its activities, EKOTECH has not only been able to reduce carbon dioxide emissions but is also taking the burden off the energy sector by eliminating the problem of ash disposal. Since its inception, the Company has managed to collect ca. 10m tonnes of the by-products of hard coal combustion. “Construction companies have been increasingly reaching for this solution which constitutes an economic and ecological alternative to cement and lime. Its role should gain even more importance amid the implementation of the circular economy model by the EU where the focus is on making full and extended use of raw materials and inputs. In our case, the input is ash generated by the energy sector,” Kamil Szczygielski adds.

 

In the first three quarters of this year, EKOTECH Group produced 120k tonnes of TEFRA 25^® binder compared to 80k tonnes produced throughout 2016. Owing to the work of EKOTECH Group, the product which is made using coal combustion products (CCP’s) generated by the energy segment is becoming more widely used in road and hydrotechnical construction projects.

EKOTECH is a pioneer in the field of CCP’s processing and has been in business since 1992. Over the last 25 years, the Company has developed an entire range of TEFRA^® products. It comprises binders for soil drainage and stabilization in infrastructure construction (TEFRA 15^® and 25) and the development of cut-off walls (TEFRA IN^®) in the construction of drainage systems and geotechnical projects.

“As planned, the production of TEFRA 25^® binder should increase y/y from 80k tonnes to 170k tonnes. In the first three quarters of this year, we have already produced 120k tonnes, and all indications are that we will manage to achieve the projected figures. At present, we are carrying out two large-scale projects: our products are used to prepare the site for the construction of a chipboard factory in Biskupiec and the construction of several sections of the S6 expressway near Koszalin and Kołobrzeg. Due to growing demand, we have set up another production facility at the Konin power plant with a daily capacity of 2k tonness,” said Kamil Szczygielski, EKOTECH CEO.

Furthermore, the Company has ambitious plans for the future. “We are already discussing next year’s contracts for supplies totaling 220–250k tonnes. Other than that, we have taken into account numerous queries from the market, and, next year, we will be launching a new product – TEFRA 35^® – intended for the treatment of even more resistant soils. We are also planning to carry out works to implement our technologies in Asia. This continent, with China leading the way, has the highest hard coal burning rates in the world, which means that the management of combustion by-products is exceptionally important in this region,” Kamil Szczygielski explained.

The EKOTECH Group, given its specialization, is also involved in projects aimed at the implementation of the circular economy model. The main premise of the model is to extend the lifecycle of raw materials in order to contain the problem of environmental pollution. The Company has engaged in a research project to develop solutions based on the use of anthropogenic minerals from the energy sector to be applied in the circular economy.