Energy efficient brick kilns for sustainable environment

Abstract

Brick remains the most important construction material in our country as we've lower supply of construction rocks. Different topsoil from agricultural lands, river floodplains are used for making the green bricks that's burnt later at the kilns particularly using the imported coal and domestic fire wooden. Most of the owners of brick kiln especially use imported Indian poor high-quality coal for burning bricks in the seasonal brick kilns operated for the duration of November to May each year. A current UNDP research suggests that approximately 33% fire wood share according the fuel used in the seasonal brick kilns. There are about 8,000 brick fields that manufacture bricks of various grades in the country claimed by Bangladesh Brick manufacturing Owners association (BMOA). Approximately 60% of the produced bricks in our country used by government departments, which include the Roads and Highways branch, Public Works department and local government Engineering department yearly. The rest is consumed by private sector users. Bhuiyan Trading Corporation has one improved zigzag kiln that is situated in Senbag, Noakhali. Currently they are supplying three different districts in our country. It has been operating since 2009. However, sometimes it creates some problem to the local people because of air pollution. Furthermore, there are lots of trucks are going in and out from kiln it may creates some problem to school children and cannot operate throughout the whole year. Now it wants to set up new kiln so that it can produce whole year and may lead to reduce environmental pollution. Brick kilns are the main source of greenhouse gas in Bangladesh, 6 to 9 million tons of CO2 emitting annually. These high levels of emissions are a result of the use of age-old technologies and substandard fuels. For example, high sulfur coal, tires and wood used in the kilns Financial feasibility analysis is a must to implement environment friendly brick manufacturing project. As this technology is capital intensive, this reports main objects to identify the parameters to implement a green brick technology.