The Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan is making efforts to solve the problems of production waste of the fuel and energy complex - ash and slag from coal power plants and oil sludge from oil refineries.

Today, at the meeting of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerlan Akkenzhenov reported on the situation and measures being taken in the field of management of production waste of the fuel and energy complex. The report considered the main aspects of the management of ash and slag waste from thermal power plants and oil sludge from oil refineries. These issues are a priority in ensuring the environmental security of the state.

Ash waste: difficulties and obstacles of disposal

Erlan Akkenzhenov noted that the waste collected as a result of the production of electricity from coal has become a large-scale environmental problem. There are 21 large coal-fired power plants operating in the republic, and as a result of their operation, 27 ash and slag dumps with a total area of ​​18,200 hectares have been formed.

"Currently, the total volume of ash and slag collected in these ash dumps is 1.41 billion cubic meters. This is a huge indicator that clearly shows the scale of the environmental threat we are facing. In 2024, the volume of ash recycling reached 69.2 thousand tons, mainly used for the needs of cement production. However, this indicator is a very small share compared to the total amount of ash collected," said the minister.

The minister analyzed the main factors that prevent the increase in the volume of waste recycling. The main problem is the quality of ash. The peculiarity of the coal used in Kazakhstan leads to a high content of impurities, sulfur compounds and heavy metals in the ash. This limits the possibility of using fly ash directly in industry, especially in the construction industry, because its processing requires additional cost-intensive treatment technologies. As a result, the demand for this raw material is low.

Insufficient infrastructure, lack of deep ash processing enterprises, lack of efficient logistics system, and weak economic incentive measures to attract business to this sector were mentioned as additional difficulties. In addition, the transition to environmentally friendly technologies, including the introduction of "dry ash production" technology, requires a lot of money to modernize power plants and is currently limited by the lack of permanent large consumers. Simply building a recycling plant is not enough. We need to build an entire ecosystem, from improving the quality of raw materials to stimulating demand, developing infrastructure and implementing cost-effective technologies. In addition, we need to carry out restoration work on old ash and slag storages. "These lands will return to economic circulation and reduce their negative impact on the environment," noted the minister.

Management of oil sludge: systematic solutions and getting rid of "historical heritage". Oil sludge is not collected, it is processed immediately using special devices. Hydrocarbons in the sludge are recycled and returned to the production cycle. The remaining solid waste (about 5.3 thousand tons per year) is given to specialized organizations with appropriate permission for environmentally safe disposal. The minister emphasized that it is legally prohibited to bury oil sludge in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In addition, special attention is paid to the disposal of "historical" oil waste accumulated in previous years. Subsoil-using companies, including enterprises belonging to the group of national company "KazMunayGas", regularly carry out works on the restoration of contaminated lands. For this, various technologies are used, including the method of separation for the purpose of separating hydrocarbons, as well as the method of biological purification. The latter uses special microorganisms that break down oil. After such treatment, the cleaned soil can be used for economic purposes, for example, for land reclamation. From 2018 to 2024, 4.5 million tons of such waste were recycled, of which 1 million tons were destroyed in 2024 alone. These achievements are the result of systematic work of oil and gas companies and strengthening of environmental control. The Ministry will continue to monitor compliance with environmental legislation, and will support the introduction of the most advanced available technologies to reduce the impact of industry on the environment," concluded Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov.

The Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan will continue to improve the regulatory legal framework and create the necessary conditions to increase the volume of industrial waste recycling. This direction is considered an important element of Kazakhstan's transition to a "green" economy and the main mechanism for ensuring long-term environmental stability of the country.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/energo/press/news/details/962622?lang=kk