Synthetic gypsum and coal ASH contaminant removal and beneficiation

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Spearstone Solutions, LLC $125,000 on September 15, 2025, under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (CFDA 10.212) to develop a contaminant removal and beneficiation process for flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum, coal ash, and phosphogypsum waste streams.

Spearstone Solutions will demonstrate technical feasibility of an innovation to upcycle industrial waste from coal-fired power plants and phosphoric acid producers by removing heavy metal contaminants such as mercury, cadmium, and arsenic from FGD gypsum and coal ash, and addressing the environmental and health risks posed by phosphogypsum storage stacks. Over 25 million tons of FGD gypsum are generated annually, with approximately 25 percent stored in unlined landfills where contaminants can leach into groundwater. Coal ash generation exceeds 100 million tons annually, and approximately 70 phosphogypsum waste stacks contain several billion tons with an additional 30 million tons generated each year; only 15 percent of phosphogypsum produced worldwide is currently recycled.

The award is obligated at $125,000. Period of performance runs from September 15, 2025, through August 14, 2026. Work is performed in Birmingham, Alabama. This is a Phase I project under the SBIR program, which focuses on proving scientific or technical feasibility and market potential as a prerequisite to potential Phase II funding.