Good Practices in Implementing the Circular Economy in the Energy Sector – Conversion of Fly Ash into Construction Materials

The support of actions aimed at reducing levels of pollution emissions into the environment requires popularization of good practices, including those involving solutions in the field of the circular economy. These actions are particularly important in sectors of the economy characterized by a high share of total emissions, as their modernization through economies of scale translates into greater environmental benefits. An example of such a sector is the energy sector. The aim of this paper is to identify and characterize selected processes within the activities of the energy sector, where a circular economy approach can be applied, and to assess the implemented solutions. This analysis was carried out using the largest entity in the Polish power sector as a case study. Process analysis was conducted using the value stream mapping method. The identified circular solutions in the process and product areas constitute an important contribution to promoting the activation of economic entities in actions aimed at improving the state of the environment.