Union minister of state for power P V Rangaiah Naidu has said that his ministry is considering the setting up of a National Ash Utilisation and Marketing Corp to promote utilisation of fly-ash from thermal power plants and marketing the end products.

Addressing the national workshop on FaL-G (fly-ash-lime-gypsum) organised by the Institute for Solid Waste Research and Ecological Balance in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Naidu assured his ministry's support to demonstrate the technology used in the manufacture of fly-ash bricks at all power stations. Fal-g can be used as a component in bricks, mortar or cement.

Power plants generate about 40 tonnes of fly-ash annually, and with the addition of new plants the fly-ash generated is expected to rise to 90 mt by AD 2000. Says V Suresh, director, corporate planning, Housing and Urban Development Corp, which sponsored the January 18-20 workshop, "It would be possible to aim at 50 per cent utilisation of fly-ash if we effectively exploit all possible alternative technologies."