value to utilities of agronomic uses for gypsum lamar larrimore southern company september 13, 2006
TRANSCRIPT
Value to Utilities of Agronomic Uses for Gypsum
Lamar LarrimoreSouthern Company
September 13, 2006
Large Volume Applications
• Wallboard - established• Cement - established• Agronomic - potential
– Crop yield– Soil erosion– Poultry waste runoff
Estimated Gypsum Production and DemandU.S. Gypsum Production (M tons)
2004 2010 2020Mined 18.0Synthetic 12.0 25.0 40.0Import 10.4
U.S. Gypsum Consumption (M tons) 2004 FutureTotal FGD Total
Wallboard/Plaster 31.3 8.2 similarCement 3.3 0.5 similarAgriculture
Crop 0.7 0.15 ??Erosion Control 18.0 *Poultry Waste 4.0 *
* AL, FL, GA, MS onlySources – USGS, USDA, ACAA
Conclusion – Manufacturing markets cannot absorb all FGD gypsum at peak production
Gypsum Quality Requirements
• Manufacturing applications have tighter restrictions for product performance needs
moisture, purity, chlorides, ash, particle size• Agriculture has fewer criteria
moisture, chlorides, Ca/S
Environmental Questions
• Trace element content• Potential volatilization of adsorbed emissions• Plant tissue uptake
Possible Barriers
• Regulatory– Environmental– Agriculture
• Technical acceptance• Utility interest / commitment• Market composition
– Fragmented with scattered demand (good/bad)• Marketers
– Few large regional / national players with agricultural experience
– Utilities not set up for agricultural marketing
Reasons for Utility Interest
• Low capital cost• Applicable for all power plants• Large potential market reduces storage needs• Fewer quality criteria• Broad needs
– Crops– Soil types– Industries
Actions
• Continue to develop additional technical performance and environmental information
• Develop demonstrations to lend credibility / publicity to lab results and presentations
• Clearance on environmental regulations• Achieve comfort level so that additional permits,
R&D, case studies not needed for commercial use• Encourage utilities or larger commercial participants
to serve fragmented markets• Involve U.S. and State Departments of Agriculture