PROGRES

A network on Production of Novel Products from Glassy Combustion Residues

About 60Mt of glassy combustion residues are produced annually within the EU by electric power generation and waste incineration. On average about 50% of these residues are utilized, with large variation from country to country (15- nearly 100%). The coal combustion residues have been produced for more than eighty years, but just since last forty years only the constructional (cement) industry has been a large user. As these residues contain more than 70% aluminum-silicate glass, there is the possibility of other more attractive applications.

The PROGRES Network, established under the EC Thematic Network Programme in 1998, has become one of the leading European discussion platforms where issues related to the successful launching of environmentally sound and economically high value, novel combustion residues based products were addressed. Actively disseminating updated knowledge on changes in the technical quality of combustion residues (including the introduction of new combustion streams), available technologies, legislation issues, market possibilities etc it contributed to a pan- European dialog between all those involved in the successful reuse of combustion residues in the past and in the future.

The PROGRES Network comprised  four clusters:
Extraction, Conversion, Other products and market issues
The Network was coordinated by KEMA based in Arnhem (NL).

The relationship among the partners (clusters) mutually continued to grow with as result it increasing number of e-mails, amount of new projects and secondments has been noticed.

One of the main activities of PROGRES Network was organization of international workshops. E.g. ‘Morella 2001’ Workshop on the conditions for a wide reuse of combustion residues as ‘secondary raw materials’ in divers market segments and on the conditions for a successful launching of the combustion residues based products into the market place in general. In the final discussion forum session the (main) following questions were considered:

– What are the barriers to the development and launching of novel combustion residues   based products,financial,legislative, environmental, user perception?
– How could these impediments be tackled?
– How could potential users of novel products be reached?

In the course of the year 2002, two Workshops have been organized. The ‘Barcelona 2002’ Workshop was dedicated to ‘The future’ of the novel products made of combustion residues.

The ‘Sevilla 2002’ Workshop was dedicated to ‘The technical specifications’ of novel products made of combustion residues. IPM² was in charge of Morella’s logistics and finance issues