Press Releases

05/02/2007 08:56:25

GO-AHEAD FOR UK ’S FIRST ASH SEPARATION PLANT

Scottish and Southern Energy plc ("SSE") and RockTron Limited ("RockTron") have concluded an agreement which will lead to the construction, at SSE’s Fiddler’s Ferry Power Station in Cheshire , of the first plant in the UK to separate the ash arising from electricity generation into constituent mineral parts for sale as cement substitute products and industrial minerals.

Under the agreement, SSE will acquire one preference share in RockTron and will provide it with a shareholder loan of up to £22m to facilitate the construction of the plant. All of the necessary consents are in place, and construction work is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2007, with the plant becoming fully operational in the summer of 2008.

The plant itself will remove and process all fresh ash produced and all ash currently stored in lagoons at the site over a period of up to 25 years. It will take ash as its raw material and process it into its constituent parts such as fine ash fraction, coarse ash fraction, magnetic fraction, carbon rich fraction and cenospheres. It is expected that the plant will be able to process up to 800,000 tonnes of ash per annum.

These constituent parts then become marketable products and will be sold into their respective markets, with the largest volume being used as cement substitutes. Without processing, ash disposal would begin to attract landfill duty and associated environmental liabilities.

The agreement between SSE and RockTron governs all of the commercial and operational matters in respect of the new plant, including a lease to allow construction and operation of the plant at the power station and the supply on a ‘must-take’ basis of ash from the power station to the plant. RockTron will be responsible for the operation of the new plant and for the marketing and sale of the constituent mineral parts arising from the processing.

The use of these substitutes reduces the need for a carbon-intensive limestone kilning process in cement production. By providing an alternative to the use of the limestone kilning process, it is estimated that the new plant will help to reduce carbon emissions by around 500,000 tonnes a year.

16/06/2006 10:39:04

SSE PROPOSALS FOR ASH SEPARATION PROJECT AT FIDDLER’S FERRY

Scottish and Southern Energy plc ("SSE") and RockTron Limited ("RockTron") have agreed to co-operate in the completion of a venture which is expected to lead to the construction, at SSE’s Fiddler’s Ferry power station in Cheshire, of the first plant in the UK to separate the ash arising from electricity generation into constituent mineral parts for sale as cement substitute products and industrial minerals.

To see complete text click here (pdf file).

15/11/2006 07:53:58

(SSE) INTERIM RESULTS FOR THE SIX MONTHS TO 30 SEPTEMBER 2006

SSE and RockTron Limited have agreed to co-operate in the completion of a venture which is expected to lead to the construction, at Fiddler’s Ferry, of the first plant in the UK to separate ash arising from electricity generation into constituent mineral parts for sale as cement substitute products and industrial minerals. By providing an alternative to the use of the limestone kilning process, it is estimated that this would help to reduce carbon emissions by around 500,000 tonnes a year. Developing the plant would require investment of around £20m. SSE and RockTron expect to make a final decision on whether to proceed with this development before the end of this financial year. Construction work would begin soon thereafter.

Upcoming Events