India is the world’s largest developing country with economic growth rate averaging 8% for the last 5 years. As per 2009 estimates, the brick production is increasing by 5-10% annually due to emergence of various developmental sectors, mainly housing, urbanization and infrastructure. India is estimated to have more than 1,45,000 registered/unregistered brick kilns producing more than 236 billion bricks. It is second largest producers of the brick in the world after China.

Brick field in India-  brick Manufacturers in kanpur,  brick supplier in kanpur , brick field kanpur

Challenges to Indian Brick Industry & how big the market is.

The brick technology in India varies from region to region and depends generally on scale of production, soil and fuel available, demand, market conditions and also on the enforcement of law for shifting from one technology to the other. The brick production in India takes place in units using century old production methods, involving manual and inefficient methods of clay preparation, hand moulding and firing.

Since the drying and firing is done in open, the brick cannot be dried and fired during the rainy season, hence is mostly seasonal and operating from 6-8 months. 70% of brick production takes place in Indo-Gangetic plans consisting of north and north-eastern parts of India using Bull’s Trench Kiln (BTK) technology with fixed chimney. In peninsular India, the majority of brick production is through clamp kilns and BTKs. The main fuel used is coal and biomass.

 

OUTCOME
  • Coal Saving : Industry has reported 10-15% savings in coal amounting to Rs.10 lacs to 15 lacs per kiln in one season on adoption of energy efficiency kiln design provided by the PSCST along with improved practices.
  • Brick Production: The production increase by 10% has been reported by the industry besides considerable improvement in quality of fired bricks.
  • Carbon Footprint Reduction: 370 Tonnes CO2 reduction per kiln per annum.
  • Improved working environment for the workers
  • Saving in resources : The facilitation role of PSCST has started bearing fruits in terms of established increased demand for REBs ultimately leading to direct savings of precious resources (Clay & fuel) by 20-30% and energy conservation due to better insulation properties of REBs.
SERVICES OFFERED
  • Consultancy for energy efficient fixed chimney BTKs
  • On-site/Off-site training during construction of Brick Kilns
  • Training to supervisor and workers on ‘Better Feeding, Firing and Operating Practices”
  • Sensitization regarding energy efficient brick technology, mechanization in brick sector and knowledge sharing regarding production of REBs through interactive workshops, seminars, conferences
  • Facilitate in selection and implementation of semi-mechanization/mechanization in brick industry.
WAY FORWARD
  • Identification and demonstration of technology for Mechanical Coal Stokers for BTKs and High Drafts Kilns.
  • Setting up of an State-of-the-Art Laboratory with infrastructure for testing of clays and fuels, prototype production and testing of various models of bricks.
  • Identification and demonstration of energy efficient brick technologies suitable to local conditions.
  • Preparation of technology modules for facilitating adoption of energy efficient semi-mechanized/mechanized brick making technologies.

 

Via  – http://pscst.gov.in/pscstHTML/brick.html

Article credit – Pritpal