ReAsh – Cross-Border Innovation for Sustainable Ash Utilization
active 9 hours, 53 minutes agoDistrict heating is a cornerstone of energy systems in the South Baltic region, especially in Denmark, Sweden, Poland, and Lithuania. These countries increasingly rely on biomass fuels—notably straw and wood pellets—to replace fossil fuels in central heating plants. In Denmark, for example, over two-thirds of district heating is now produced from biomass, with domestically sourced straw playing a key role.
This transition generates large volumes of combustion ash, which contains nutrients but is underutilized due to heavy metal content, poor spreadability, and inconsistent regulations. There is also growing interest in linking ash reuse with sludge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to support circular resource flows.
ReAsh brings together partners from across the South Baltic to address these challenges through technology pilots, digital innovation, and policy alignment.
Project Objectives
1. Transform ash into a usable resource through cross-border collaboration
Facilitate cooperation between district heating plants, municipalities, researchers, and farmers to co-develop and test sustainable ash reuse technologies and strategies.
2. Map ash production and handling across regions
Collect and analyse data on ash and sludge volumes, composition, and current management practices to identify regional differences and opportunities for harmonization.
3. Pilot technologies to clean ash and remove heavy metals
Test innovative treatment methods to reduce heavy metal content and improve ash’s physical properties for safe reuse. Especially fly ash is problematic often exceeding Cadmium levels for reuse.
Test innovative methods for extracting P and other nutrients from ash.
CleanMatter?
Easy Mining, Sweden?
Other?
4. Test agricultural reuse by mixing ash with WWTP sludge
Conduct trials using different ratios of ash and sludge to evaluate nutrient availability, soil health impact, and environmental safety.
Assess whether ash can act as a hygienization agent (high pH), helping to reduce pathogens in sludge and improve its safety for land application. At Rønne WWTP burnt chalk is used for hygienization, which is expensive, and it could interesting to investigate if ash could be used as a replacement for burnt chalk.
5. Explore reuse in agriculture, construction, and carbon sequestration
Investigate the potential of ash in soil improvement, building materials, and as a medium for carbon capture or storage.
Test plant availability of different types of ashes.
Use in building materials could be for ash unsuitable for agriculture use due to too high levels of heavy metals.
6. Develop a digital platform for managing ash and sludge data
Create a tool for tracking batches, recording analysis results, provide easy and quick evaluation of suitability for reuse, calculate quantities allowed to be spread, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Also ensure that there is adaptability for sludge management.
This could be of high value for BEOF and other utilities, as all ash in handled manually, and it could reduce administrative burdens.
7. Align regional regulations to enable safe and scalable reuse
Compare legal frameworks across countries, identify barriers, and propose policy recommendations to support harmonized reuse practices.
8. Stakeholder involvement: TBA
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Daniel sereth created the project idea
ReAsh – Cross-Border Innovation for Sustainable Ash Utilization 9 hours, 49 minutes ago