Titan has announced it will build and operate a state-of-the-art processing and beneficiating facility for ponded fly ash in Warrington, UK, following an agreement with Peel NRE, part of Peel Group, a privately held UK infrastructure and property investment company.  

The facility, which will be based at the former Fiddler's Ferry power station, is expected to become operational by the first quarter of 2027. This long-term agreement to extract and process the ash from the lagoons will enable Peel Group’s commitment to secure a safe, accessible landform to support the progressive long-term restoration of the site whilst providing ecological and recreational enhancements. It will be able to process 300,000tpa of wet fly ash starting from 2027, with the potential to double this capacity. The processed fly ash will meet the BS EN 450 standard that ensures the quality and consistency of fly ash when used as a pozzolanic addition to cement or concrete mixtures.

Titan will leverage the advanced proprietary processing capabilities and expertise of ST Equipment & Technology, part of Titan Group, to transform ponded fly ash into a consistent, concrete-grade product, offering substantial improvements over current lagoon extraction methods. Unlike unprocessed materials, which are unsuitable for high-value applications, Titan’s processed fly ash will serve as a high-performance supplementary cementitious material (SCM) for concrete production. 

Jean-Philippe Benard, head of cementitious, executive committee member at Titan Group, stated: "This project is a major step forward in implementing our growth strategy. Expanding our alternative cementitious business, we are enhancing the sustainability of the construction sector. We are also meeting the growing demand for innovative, high-performance building materials, leveraging the proprietary technology of our company, ST Equipment & Technology. We are very pleased with our long-term partnership with Peel, which will deliver value to the environment, our customers, and the neighboring communities.” 

The use of processed fly ash will contribute significantly to reducing carbon emissions from the cement industry, lowering reliance on virgin raw materials, and supporting the circular economy. The fly ash deposits at Fiddler's Ferry can be processed for use in cement, concrete, and autoclaved aerated concrete blocks — vital materials for housing construction. During the course of the contract period, there will be substantial environmental and economic benefits, including:

  • Avoiding approximately 7.5Mt of CO2 emissions (equivalent to removing 220,000 cars annually from the road in the UK)

  • Saving around 16Mt of virgin raw materials  

  • Reducing the need for 10Mt of imported SCMs 

  • Generating an initial investment of around GBP20m (US$27m) 

  • Creating approximately 100 direct and indirect jobs 

  • Increasing tax revenues for local councils.