CHALLENGES IN SHIFTING TECHNOLOGIES:
Brick Industry occupies the biggest industrial density within Nepal and uses largest energy (around 40% is fuel cost out of total turnover) among production industry. There are over 826 Brick Kiln Industries in Nepal out of which 701 are operational out of which 157 still operate with moveable chimney (MBTK), 553 with Fixed Chimney BTK (FCBTK) while only about
25 have started to adapt to Vertical Shaft Brick Technology. The sector operates as a traditional business with new entrepreneurs coming forward recently. It is still an unorganized sector compared to other industries in Nepal as its production is labor intensive which are migratory due its seasonal business nature. Although the industry employs 139450 employees, the socio-economic conditions and the knowledge gap are the challenges to be considered in technological development. Formation of FNBI has assisted in organizing the entrepreneurs to bridge the knowledge gap and the issues of its members with the government and development partners of the country. The studies conducted on energy consumption by types of brick kilns in Nepal show that technological shift to VSBK is best among all for energy and environmental performance as it consumes around 30% less coal as compared with normal Fixed chimney BTK with straight line firing. Other alternatives that have non firing brick production such as decorative and hydraform hollow bricks are also available for adoption. However, such shifting of technologies requires high investment and better skilled manpower resulting in outsourced employment that further threatens the growing scarcity of locally available labor forces. FNBI believes this shift of technology can only be achieved with increased awareness and only when development agencies partners with the key stake holders using local resources while government aids in legislative, policy review to address the challenges seen in the socio-economic and political context of the brick industry. FNBI is proposing a transitional shift of eliminating MC-BTK and industrial adaptation of existing FCBTK towards the common goal of reducing energy consumption and replacing it with zig zag, VSBK and other cleaner kiln technology by 2020. Zig-zag kilns are the logical replacement for FCBTKs, because of low capital investment, easy integration into the existing production process, and possibility of retrofitting traditionally operated FCBTKs into Zig-Zag firing. As Zig-Zag kiln performance strongly depends on the kiln operation practices; this approach will further assist in quicker adaptation of traditional entrepreneurs towards technological advancement and willingness to invest and contribute to reduction of carbon emission of the industry.
