Ecological evaluation of ash and slag dumps for their differential processing: A case-study of Kharanor Hydropower Plant

The ash and slag processing and recycling technologies which are in active application in the world are reviewed. The ecological evaluation of the second section of the ash and slag dump at the Kharanor Hydropower Plant in Transbaikalia with a view to differential processing of the dump material later on. Ash and slag waste is the subject of special analysis. As against natural mineral deposit, there is no need to carry out prospecting in case of ash and slag waste. A feature of exploration and appraisal of ash and slag dumps can be the presence of potentially hazardous and radioactive elements, which can greatly affect recommendations on the use of ash and slag waste in the agriculture sector. The environmental impact of ash and slag waste and the quantification of mineral components are the key issues to be handled during investigation. Technologies of using and recycling of coal mining and combustion waste should be regulated by subsoil users from the very beginning of design and development of a manmade deposit (manmade mineral-bearing object). This is of a special concern in Transbaikalia, in view of the structure of the regional power system. The article describes testing of coal combustion waste in terms of the content of natural radionuclides in the test samples, and their grain size and chemical composition. The methods of the full-scale and lab-scale experiments are set out. The summary and conclusions are drawn.

Manikovsky P. M., Ovcharenko N. V., Gushchina T. O., Sidorova G. P. Ecological evaluation of ash and slag dumps for their differential processing: A case-study of Kharanor Hydropower Plant. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2024;(8):19-37. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/ 0236_1493_2024_8_0_19.

The study was supported by the Transbaikal State University within the framework of the Priority 2030 Far East Development Program, Project No. NP-1.

P.M. Manikovsky¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Senior Lecturer, SPIN code: 9511-6257, e-mail: manikovskiypm@yandex.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0120-1627,
N.V. Ovcharenko¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, e-mail: nataovharenko@mail.ru, SPIN code: 8080-3673,
T.O. Gushchina, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Chief Specialist-Expert, Federal Service for Environmental, Technological and Nuclear control, Moscow, Russia, e-mail: tanyshkagychina@inbox.ru, SPIN code: 2870-9420,
G.P. Sidorova¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Professor, e-mail: druja@inbox.ru, SPIN code: 1416-5854, Author ID: 615647,
¹ Transbaikal State University, 672039, Chita, Russia.

G.P. Sidorova, e-mail: druja@inbox.ru.

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