Dominion Energy has received 12 proposals to recycle coal ash at five of its ash ponds at four power stations in the state, including one in Chesterfield.
The utility company made the announcement in a Nov. 14 press release.
Earlier this year, the state Legislature passed a law – Senate Bill 807 – requiring that Dominion Energy conduct a Request for Proposals to determine the feasibility and costs of recycling coal ash at four power stations (Chesterfield, Possum Point, Chesapeake and Bremo) and other ash facilities at Chesapeake Energy Center.
Dominion received 12 proposals and bids that ranged from $2.77 billion to $3.36 billion.
Four bids were received for the Chesterfield power station, which at 14.9 million cubic yards of coal ash represents 54.6 percent of the company’s coal ash in the state. It would take 13 to 15 years to transport the product to market or waste to landfills by truck, rail or barge at a cost of $1 billion to $2.2 billion just for Chesterfield’s upper and lower coal ash ponds.
The press release states that the bids varied widely in terms of their impact on local communities resulting from the closing process, the time it will take to complete the closures and the potential cost.
These offers, if implemented, would recycle around 45 percent of the ash. The rest of the ash would be placed in a landfill over the 15-year timeframe.
Dominion believes that recycling should be considered along with other closure options, including closure-in-place, with groundwater remediation if necessary, or closure by removal and landfilling.
Dominion Energy already recycles approximately 500,000 tons of coal combustion byproducts each year. The ash is used to help make cement and wallboard.
