The ‘K-block’ is made using discarded coal ash and offers greater stability in rough seas compared to standard structures. (Image courtesy of Korea Western Power Company)
BUSAN, Nov. 2 (Korea Bizwire) – New technology that uses coal ash from power plants to construct structures in the ocean is set to be actively promoted in South Korea. Currently, some of the waste materials from burning coal to produce electricity are stored or buried because they are hard to recycle.
One of these structures, known as the ‘K-block,’ is made using discarded coal ash and offers greater stability in rough seas compared to standard structures. It can effectively handle waves.
Furthermore, key technologies developed in this process were revealed recently. Created by Korea Western Power Co. (KOWEPO) and the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), the ‘Next-generation K-Marine Structure Utilizing Coal Ash’ is being evaluated for its potential to contribute to resource conservation and climate change efforts. It can replace 20 percent of the materials used in sofa blocks, which protect breakwaters, artificial reefs, and cover stones, with coal ash from power plants.
Specifically, the sofa block is expected to replace tetrapods, which are largely made using foreign technology and require localization. The sofa block developed in this project has a higher stability coefficient (12 or more) compared to tetrapods (with a stability coefficient of 6 to 8). The design also takes safety risks, like falls, into account.
KOWEPO and KIOST have registered three related patents in South Korea and are working on registration in Indonesia. The technology has been passed on to a local business, Continental Energy Technology Co.
Additionally, the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) has announced a business agreement with Korea Western Electric Power Company (KOWEPO) and Continental Energy Technology to commercialize the ‘K-Ocean Structure Utilizing Coal Ash.’ This agreement aims to promote the use of these structures in the ocean, which can enhance the safety of coastal port facilities domestically and internationally in response to climate change.
Park Hyung-duck, President of KOWEPO, emphasized the significance of the K-Ocean Structure in achieving carbon neutrality and a circular economy by using coal ash from power plants for resource recycling. Dr. Kang Do-hyung, director of KIOST, highlighted the growing need for efficient offshore structures capable of withstanding high waves due to rising sea levels caused by climate change. The agreement will advance relevant technologies and promote commercialization.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
