Safe Recycling

Duke Energy is committed to the safe and economic recycling of coal ash and other coal combustion byproducts (CCBs). CCBs are materials formed when coal is burned to generate electricity. Coal ash is used as a valuable ingredient in a wide range of concrete and cement products. Gypsum, which is produced during the process to lower emissions from coal power plants, is recycled and used in wallboard for the construction industry, as a raw material in the production of cement, or for use as a soil amendment and/or soil stabilizer in agriculture. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has extensively studied the safety of using coal ash in concrete and gypsum in wallboard and found that it minimizes CCBs from being released into the environment and meets health-based benchmarks for the protection of human health.

At three North Carolina locations, the company is using advanced technology to recycle coal ash for use in concrete.