FGD and DeNOx
NEWSLETTER       

                                                                                                         September 2005
                                                                                                             No. 329

Future FGD Gypsum Sales Will Have to Consider Other Options

According to American Coal Ash Association’s (ACAA) most recent Coal Combustion Product Production and Use Survey covering calendar year 2003, FGD gypsum utilization has risen to 70 percent and FGD gypsum production stands at almost 12 million tons annually. Virtually all of the 12 newest wallboard plants built or announced since 1995 (Figure 2) have been specifically designed to take advantage of the availability of FGD gypsum. However, despite this synergy, only 27 percent of total gypsum wallboard production in the U.S. utilizes FGD gypsum.

Figure 2.

Based on utility projections for SO₂ reduction in response to new regulatory programs, FGD products production is expected to approach 40 million tons by 2015 and most of the FGD gypsum production will remain in the East or the Midwest, not in key future market growth areas for gypsum wallboard—i.e. the Northeast and West Coast. Thus, continued growth in FGD gypsum sales will need to take advantage of its suitability for other high volume uses including cement, concrete products and agricultural uses. E. Cheri Miller of TVA reports that the Technical Committee of ACAA is responding to this need and has formed an FGD subcommittee that is beginning to develop Resource Bulletins and Fact Sheets on FGD gypsum. 

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