As coal-fired power plants retire and ash ponds are closed under increasing regulatory pressure, utilities are left managing millions of tons of stored fly ash — material that, if properly processed, has real commercial value in concrete and other beneficial reuse applications. Left in place, it’s a long-term liability, requiring ongoing monitoring and closure costs. Recovered, it’s a resource.
The obstacle is moisture. Much of the fly ash sitting in ponds and landfills is too wet to meet the specifications required for high-value uses like supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). Traditional drying relies on large natural gas-fired systems — significant capital investment, high energy consumption, and an added combustion source, all working against the same decarbonization and emissions goals utilities are under pressure to meet.
For utilities already managing rising energy costs, tightening emissions targets, and mounting pressure to disclose environmental impact, adding a gas-fired drying system to solve one problem often just creates another.
Beneficial Reuse, Without Natural Gas
Shockwave’s technology dries and mills fly ash in a single, fully electric, continuous process — no natural gas or inlet heat required. The result is a dry, consistent material suited to beneficial reuse, recovered without adding a combustion source or a large capital-intensive gas-fired system to the facility.
How We Help Utilities & Energy Companies
Enable Beneficial Reuse
Stored ash can be dried and milled toward ASTM C618 moisture and fineness requirements for evaluation as an SCM.
Eliminate Natural Gas from Drying
A fully electric process supports decarbonization goals without sacrificing drying performance.
Support Closure-by-Removal Strategies
Processing stored ash into a usable material offers an alternative to leaving it in place indefinitely.
Support ESG & Regulatory Commitments
Diverting ash from long-term storage into beneficial reuse supports emissions goals and environmental compliance.
Have stored ash you need to move?
Proven Through Pilot Testing
Shockwave has completed both an internal R&D trial and a utility-commissioned pilot on coal fly ash, consistently reducing moisture from roughly 15–19% down to approximately 3–4% using ambient air only. In the most recent pilot, fly ash sourced directly from an active utility ash pond was dried from 14.88% to 3.75% moisture, with throughput ranging from roughly 11,600 to 14,600 lbs/hr and 88% of finished product finer than 53 microns.
Ready to Evaluate Your Material?
Every site and ash source is different. Our team can review your material, discuss your goals, and determine the best path forward — including pilot-scale testing.