Kady Pärnaku, a construction manager with international experience, has joined the project of Ragn-Sells OSA, under whose leadership a demo plant for valorisation of oil shale ash will be built next to Narva by 2024, according to the current plans.
Kady, who obtained a master's degree (cum laude) in industrial and civil engineering from Tallinn University of Technology in 2012, has worked in the construction sector for over 10 years. In the years 2011-2016, she was the site manager at Maru Ehitus and was responsible for the completion of several production and industrial buildings as well as commercial and office premises. In 2016, Kady moved on to Sweden, where she managed mainly residential development projects for five years as the site manager of Nordecon's subsidiary. Before joining the Ragn-Sells OSA project this November, Kady worked as a project manager for real estate developments in Ülemiste City. In addition to her main work, as a co-founder she supports the processes of the technology recycling company GreenDice.
As the construction manager of the Ragn-Sells OSA project and according to current plans, Kady is responsible for ensuring that an oil shale refining demo plant is completed by the end of 2024 and then the main plant by 2028 on the industrial territory of Balti Elektrijaam, which belongs to Eesti Energia, next to the city of Narva. Kady coordinates and controls the work, quality and processes of the various construction teams. She also creates cooperation points and networks with various parties and partners and participates in the preparation of contracts, cost estimates and budgets.
Kady Pärnaku: "I have been looking for a new challenge for some time, the values and mission of which would connect with my principles of how to act responsibly and make the most of available resources. I was already familiar with the activities of Ragn-Sells and the OSA project, which is why I happily accepted Alar Saluste's job offer without thinking. The biggest goal for which I now work every day is the construction of the demo factory and getting it to work. Then, when the demo factory has proven the effectiveness of Ragn-Sells' patented solutions, we will start the construction of a large factory."
The technology born from the cooperation of Ragn-Sells, the University of Tartu, Taltech and several international research institutions enables the production of ultra-clean climate-positive calcium carbonate from the ash of electricity production and CO2 emissions. The main plant, which will be completed by 2028, will be able to reprocess more than one million tons of oil shale ash and bind 250,000 tons of CO2 per year, resulting in the production of approximately 500,000 tons of calcium carbonate. The waste that has been lying useless in the ash hills of Ida-Virumaa for decades is transformed into new raw materials that can be used to produce paints, window frames, floor coverings, paper and many other items needed in everyday life.
To date, large global companies have already shown great interest in the product. Among them, Gealan (Germany), one of the largest manufacturers of plastic window frames in Europe, and Tarkett (France), one of the five largest manufacturers of floor materials in the world, who want to use raw materials with the smallest possible CO2 footprint in their production. Under the conditions of meeting the strict climate goals set in the European Union and Estonia, the preference for such materials is a growing trend.
In addition, with the support of the EAS and KredEx joint agency, research has been started to date to extract magnesium from oil shale ash in addition to calcium carbonate. It is a very light metal that is widely used in everyday life and is most in demand in the automotive, aircraft, rocket and various other machine industries. In addition, magnesium compounds are used as rust and scale removers, in the production of glass, medicines, paints and many other items or to give them a better effect. It is also a valuable and highly demanded material in agriculture as a fertilizer and as an important nutrient for crops.
English 
Estonian 
Russian