The report gives results of an evaluation of the 1985 marketing potential of byproduct gypsum from utility flue gas desulfurization (FGD), for the area east of the Rocky Mountains, using the calculated gypsum production rates of 14 selected power plants. The 114 cement plants and 52 wallboard plants in the area were assumed to be the potential market for FGD gypsum sales. Assuming use of an in-loop, forced-oxidation, limestone FGD process, results showed that producing marketable gypsum was less expensive than disposal by chemical fixation and landfill for many power plants in the area, including those used in the study. With this savings to offset freight costs, the power plants could market 4.35 million tons/year of gypsum (92% of their production), filling 63% of the cement plant requirements and 20% of the wallboard plant requirements. Cement plants are a geographically disperse market available to most power plants, but able to absorb the production of only a few power plants; wallboard plants are a larger market but, for them, power plant location is a more important marketing factor. Other variations of the marketing model indicated that: drying and briquetting had little effect on marketing potential; and sales were reduced 25% when the savings in the FGD cost were not used to offset freight costs.

"February 1984." "EPA interagency agreement no. 79-D-X0511." Bibliography: p. 139-144.