Swiss-Japanese cleantech company Hitachi Zosen Inova AG (HZI) and EasyMining Sweden AB, a subsidiary of the Swedish resources management company Ragn-Sells Group, have entered into a license agreement covering the use of EasyMining’s proprietary Ash2Salt process. Under this agreement, HZI will expand the market for this novel recycling technology outside the Nordics.
As a plant engineering company specializing in energy-from-waste (EfW) plants, Hitachi Zosen Inova has been developing and installing systems for fly ash washing for several decades. After an initial collaboration with EasyMining that began in May 2020, the parties have now decided on long-term cooperation.
Win-win for both companies
This includes a license agreement covering the use of EasyMining’s proprietary Ash2Salt process, whereby HZI will market this emerging system for extracting salts from fly ash outside the Nordics.
We are thrilled that a large and reputable company like Hitachi Zosen Inova sees the possibilities with our Ash2Salt technology. It is gratifying that Hitachi Zosen Inova sees such potential with this technology that they, during the construction of the first Ash2Salt plant at Högbytorp, want to license the technology outside the Nordics, remarked Anna Lundbom, Head of Marketing at EasyMining.
The collaboration is promising for both companies. While EasyMining can capitalize on HZI’s strong position as a company that operates on international waste-to-energy (WtE) markets internationally and thus can introduce the Ash2Salt technology to new markets, HZI benefits from the innovative proprietary technology that now complements its existing fly ash washing offering.
EasyMining’s Ash2Salt process is an excellent addition to our established fly ash cleaning processes. The separation of salts from fly ash is of high value for the plant operator, and it also brings us another step forward on our way to a circular economy. Therefore, Hitachi Zosen Inova will be offering this concept in future plants as we are convinced of its economic and ecological benefits, said Dr Volker Wiesendorf, Director Sales Energy from Waste at Hitachi Zosen Inova.
The Ash2Salt technology will be applicable in all countries where flue gas residues from incineration need to be handled. Under the terms of the agreement, HZI will be the licensee for Australia, Austria, Belgium, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK.
First commercial plant already under construction
In May 2020, Ragn-Sells began construction of the first Ash2Salt plant in Högbytorp outside of Stockholm, Sweden. HZI is a key contributor to this project, responsible for the design and construction of the process plant.
The construction is progressing well, and the plant will be up and running in the summer of 2022. Initially, “Salarium Högbytorp” will be able to receive and process up to 135 000 tonnes of fly ash annually.
Fly ash, which is classed as hazardous waste, is the remaining residue from flue gas cleaning systems at incineration plants.
The Ash2Salt plant will wash the fly ash and recover sodium chloride, calcium chloride, and potassium chloride salts from the liquid wash. These recovered salts are suitable for various commercial and industrial applications.
In addition to recovering valuable compounds for reuse, another advantage of this technology is that the post-process ash is “detoxified” and no longer classed as hazardous waste.
If we are serious about creating a sustainable society, we have to use more of the raw materials we have already extracted, and the Ash2Salt technology is a great example of this, concluded Anna Lundbom.
