Ragn-Sells aims to invest in second Ash2Salt facility

Ragn-Sells‘ first plant is currently being constructed in Upplands-Bro outside Stockholm. The planned second factory will be built in a suitable location in southern Sweden, southern Norway, or Denmark.

Environmental company Ragn-Sells announces plans to invest in a second facility for the recovery of valuable raw materials from fly ash. The first plant, based on the Ash2Salt technology, is slated to open near Stockholm in the fall of 2022. Now the search begins for a suitable second location, with southern Sweden, southern Norway, and Denmark all in contention.

The Ash2Salt method makes it possible to extract about 200 kilos of salts from each tonne of the ash, which is formed when waste is incinerated to provide heat and electricity.

– There is a great deal of interest in Ragn-Sells' new facility where valuable salts will be recycled from fly ash. Therefore, we start planning for another facility even before the first one has opened. We are now looking for a suitable place in a municipality that is passionate about circular solutions, says Ragn-Sells Treatment & Detox CEO Mikael Hedström.

When flue gas from waste incineration is scrubbed and filtered, fly ash is formed. The ash contains high levels of pollutants, but also several desirable compounds, such as potassium, sodium, and calcium in the form of salts. The Ash2salt technology, a world patent developed by Ragn-Sells’ innovation subsidiary EasyMining, removes environmental toxins and unwanted substances, while useful raw materials can be recycled. Usage for the salts include potassium fertiliser, plastics, glass, paper, building materials and, in the case of sodium chloride, to combat slippery roads.

– If we are serious about creating a sustainable society, we have to start using the raw materials we already have, again and again. We are looking for a municipality as committed to the transition to a circular economy as we are. I encourage everyone who is interested to contact us, Mr. Hedström says.

The new facility will result in:

• Production of salts with a climate footprint that is more than 90 percent lower than traditional production.
• An investment of 600–700 million SEK.
• 15–20 new job opportunities.

Ragn-Sells‘ first plant is currently being constructed in Upplands-Bro outside Stockholm. The facility will be put into operation this fall with a capacity to process 150 000 metric tonnes of fly ash per year. The planned second factory will be built in a suitable location in southern Sweden, southern Norway, or Denmark.

Each year, Sweden produces roughly 300,000 metric tonnes of fly ash when waste is incinerated to provide heat and electricity. So far, in the absence of more sustainable alternatives, most of the Swedish fly ash has been sent to Norway. Since October 1, 2021, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, the authority responsible for export permits for fly ash, no longer classifies such handling as recycling, but as depositing.

For more information, please contact
Mikael Hedström, CEO, Ragn-Sells Treatment & Detox, +46 70-927 27 56, mikael.hedstrom@ragnsells.com 
Emma Ranerfors, press officer, +46 10-723 24 16, press@ragnsells.com 

Facts: Ash2Salt
When flue gas from waste incineration is scrubbed and filtered, fly ash is formed and captured. This ash is classified as a hazardous waste due to high levels of pollutants, but also contains several desirable compounds, such as potassium and sodium. In the Ash2Salt process, the fly ash is washed, and three commercial salts are extracted from the wash liquid: sodium chloride, potassium chloride and calcium chloride.

The ash residue that remains after the Ash2Salt treatment no longer needs to be handled as a hazardous waste, as the majority of environmental toxins have been separated. Therefore, the residues do not need to be placed on special landfills for hazardous waste, and the total volume going to landfill is reduced.