Sydney, July 8 - A researcher has converted waste ash, a by product of coal-fired power stations, into fireproof concrete.

The concrete could be used to build fireproof bunkers in rural areas, and could prevent tonnes of fly ash from being dumped.

Over 600 million tonnes of fly ash are produced globally every year.

This material will also cut down carbon emissions, since 'five to eight percent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions come from the manufacture of cement', said William Rickard, student at Curtin University of Technology (CUT).

'Creating geopolymer cement from fly ash produced by coal fired power stations releases up to 80 percent less carbon dioxide than standard cement.

'Not only can we reuse industrial waste and save it from being dumped into unsightly tailings dumps, we can help reduce our carbon emissions and the impact of global warming,' Rickard said.

'While also being as strong as regular cement, geopolymer cement has exceptional fire resistance, making it superior to conventional building materials,' he added.