ECO - KILN

PILOT PLANT

PROJECT BRIEF

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Project Brief

BACKGROUND 2

THE PILOT PLANT 2

WAY FORWARD 3

TECHNICAL DETAILS OF PILOT PLANT 3

PROJECT PICTURES 4

Annexures 5

ANNEX 1 MATRIX OF DECISIONS FOR BRICK MAKING TECHNOLOGIES 6

ANNEX 2 OVERVIEW OF WALL BUILDING MATERIALS + COSTS IN MALAWI 7

ANNEX 3 COMPARISON BETWEEN TRADITIONAL CLAMP AND ECO-KILN TECHNOLOGY 8

2

BACKGROUND

The growing population, especially in the urban areas and migration in Malawi has

put pressure on the construction industry to develop adequate housing and infrastructure to meet the demands of this growth. UN DESA (2012) projections suggest that, by 2025, almost 19% of Malawi’s population will be urbanized. This

figure is expected to rise to about 32% by 2050. Currently, UN- Habitat (2010) estimates that demand for housing in Malawian main urban centres alone is 21,000 units per year over the next decade. This does not take into account the materials

need from public and commercial infrastructure and housing demands in rural areas.

If an average of 85,000 burnt bricks is required to construct a typical urban house

usually brick-fenced, approximately 1.7 billion burnt bricks are needed each year to meet the current urban housing demand.

The main building material that is used in Malawi in both rural and urban settings for all building types is burnt bricks. The 2008 Population and Housing Census shows

that burnt bricks (38.5%) are dominant walling materials in the country, followed by adobes and mud. In the last two decades, there has been a significant shift from mud walls mostly to burnt bricks. This shift has not only been seen in urban areas,

but rural population increasingly prefers burnt bricks as well. This has resulted in a shift from about 10% to almost 40% during the last decade. Concrete and other cement-based products account for only 0.6% of all walling materials in all

probability due to the high costs of these materials. Thus burnt bricks are and will be the dominant building materials in Malawi both in urban and rural settings.

Traditionally bricks used for construction in Malawi are produced by baking moulded clay, with fuelwood as the primary fuel in extremely inefficient kilns. The majority of the fuelwood used for firing is not harvested sustainably, thus increasing

pressure on Malawi’s natural resources. The brick production sector is largely informal with little long-term investment in technology or in skill development, which compromises the quality of bricks produced.

THE PILOT PLANT

In an effort to address the challenges of improving the brick industry in Malawi, CCODE1 undertook a study on the energy efficient and environmental friendly

methods of brick production. The study found out that in Asia an-energy efficient and environmental friendly brick firing method called Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln (VSBK), has been developed2. This technology has significant advantages over the

traditional and Malawi's predominantly used– clamp technology. Thus CCODE after having carried out a feasibility study in 20123 and a baseline study4 in 2013 ventured in the creation of the enterprise Eco-Matters Ltd and the construction of a

VSBK pilot plant colloquially called Eco-Kiln.

Supported by GIZ5, DFID6 and TARA7 the construction of the plant was finished in

early 2015 and Eco-Matter Ltd took up regular production in April 2015. Meanwhile

1 CCODE, Centre for Community Organisation and Development, a Malawian NGO with focus on low

cost housing and slum up-grading founded in 2003 (www.ccodemw.org) 2 Urs Heierli, Brick by Brick: The Herculean Task of Cleaning up the Asian Brick Industry 3 Maity, S. & Nagrath, K. (2012): MALAWI, Feasibility of VSBK Technology for cleaner brick production 4 Clíoma (2013): Brick Production Provisional Baseline Study 5 Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) is a non-profit company

specialized in international development. It is owned by the German Federal Government 6 Department for International Development (DfID) is a United Kingdom government department

responsible for administering overseas aid 7 TARA, Society for Technology & Action for Rural Advancement is a social enterprise set up in

1985 at New Delhi, India

3

the Eco-Kiln established by Eco-Matters has established itself as being one of Africa’s most energy efficient brick firing technology.

WAY FORWARD

After the successful demonstration of the Eco-Kiln technology the project now intends to disseminate the technology through commercial mode, anchoring the required

knowhow at Eco-Matters which will make it available to interested entrepreneurs.

With the dissemination of the Eco-Kiln technology in Malawi Eco-Matters and its partners pursue the following goals:

Increase the availability of affordable, high quality, environmental friendly building material to the Malawian public

Creation of more than 1,000 small to medium scale enterprises in the SME

sector and ancillary industries

Creation of more than 20,000 sustainable “GREEN JOBS” thereby helping in reducing poverty

Saving of 850,000 tonnes of fuelwood annually

Saving of 1,500,000 tonnes of CO2 annually

Use of more than 90,000 tonnes of agricultural and industrial waste (e.g.

leftovers of tobacco industry, ground nut production, boiler ash and duff coal) supporting the Malawi’s contribution towards promoting resource efficiencies and contributing to Global Sustainable Development Goals.

Recurring use of 50,000 tons of coal creating a business of USD 10 million

within the country thereby promoting inclusive growth.

Reducing the embodied energy in housing, thereby pioneering the path of energy saving in Africa

In August 2016 Eco-Matters supported by GIZ and TARA started information

sessions all over Malawi. Till date several entrepreneurs have shown keen interest and several consultations are currently going on in preparation for the setting up of more Eco-Kilns.

TECHNICAL DETAILS OF ECO-KILN PILOT PLANT

4 shaft VSBK

Level of loading platform at 7.50 m

Expected daily output 20,000 bricks

Expected annual output 6,000,000 bricks

Number staff 160 - 180

Saving of fuelwood per year 3,000t

(This corresponds to the dry weight of all the trees standing in an area of 400 x 400m of a fully grown forest)

Saving of CO2 emissions per year 4,080t

4

PICTURES

5

ANNEXURES

6

ANNEX 1

MATRIX OF DECISIONS FOR BRICK MAKING TECHNOLOGIES (ACCORDING TO MALAWIAN CONTEXT)

Wood fired

clamp

Coal fired clamp

Improved clamp

Scoved kiln

MK Kiln Up draught

kiln

Down draught

kiln

ZigZag kiln

Habla kiln

BTK Hoffmann kiln

VSBK Tunnel kiln

Roller hearth

Malawian Bench mark

Capable to produce

Roofing tiles Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes NA

Hollow bricks Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Solid bricks Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Floor tiles Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes NA

Capacity of kiln Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate High High High High High High Variable High High Low-Variable

Type of fuel Variable Variable Variable Variable Variable Variable Variable Variable Fixed Variable Variable Fixed Variable Variable Fixed

Fuel switch facility Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No

Homogeneity of temperature Low Moderate Moderate Moderate Low High High High High High High High High High High

Energy requirement /kg brick High High High High High Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate High Moderate Very low High High Low - Very Low

Heat recovery for drying No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Emissions to atmosphere High High Moderate High Low Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Low Moderate Moderate Low

Workplace emissions High High High High Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Low Low Low Low

Possibility of fulfilling emission norms

Low Low Low Low Low Moderate Moderate Moderate High Moderate High High High High High

Required green brick quality Low Low Low Low Low Low Low Low Low Low Low High Low Low High

Product quality Low Low Low Low Medium Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good

Monthly production Low Low Low Low Low High High High High High High Variable Very high Very high Low – Fair

Land requirement Low Low Low Low Low High High High High High High Low High High Low

Ability to operate throughout the year

No No No No No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Production losses High High High High Moderate Low Low Low Low Low Low Low Low Low Low

Investment Low Low Low Low Low Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Very high Medium Very high Very high Low – medium

Return on investment Fast Fast Fast Fast Fast Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Slow Slow Fast

Organisational requirements Low Low Low Low High High High High High High High High High High High

Availability of replicas Easy Easy Easy Easy Difficult Difficult Difficult Difficult Difficult Difficult Difficult Difficult Difficult Difficult Easy

Local capacities for construction

Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No No Yes

Local availability of materials for construction

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes

Experience of implementation Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No No Yes

Valid CDM-PDD No No No No No No No No No No No Yes No No Yes

Total positive points 7 7 7 7 9 8 8 9 10 7 8 19 8 8

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ANNEX 2

OVERVIEW OF WALL BUILDING MATERIALS + COSTS IN MALAWI

(As of Mai 2013)

Load bearing wall < 3.50 m; Plastered on one site

Material Average cost [MK]

Unit size

[mm]

Wall thickness [mm]

Remarks

Per unit Per m² wall L x W x H

Traditional burnt

brick

4.50 3,840 L 170 – 230

W 80 – 105

H 40 – 90

(see8)

170 - 230 High breakage rate

Un-uniform size and shape leads to high mortar and plaster needs Un-reliable compressive strength

Eco-Kiln brick 22.50 4,270 230 x 110 x 75 230

Eco-Kiln brick New type

51.50 2,930 230 x 190 x 95 190

Stabilised Soil Block

73.50 6,500 290 x 140 x 90 290

Interlocking Bricks

144.00 6,240 230 x 220 x 115 220

Not loadbearing according to standards, but partly used as loadbearing wall in Malawi

Hollow Concrete

Block

310.00 4,310 450 x 150 x 200 150 Requires plastering on both sides

(considered in costs)

Stabilised Soil

Block

73.50 3,700 290 x 140 x 90 140

8 Clíoma (2013): Brick Production Provisional Baseline Study

8

ANNEX 3

COMPARISON BETWEEN TRADITIONAL CLAMP AND ECO-KILN

Traditional Clamp Eco-Kiln

Energy consumption [MJ/kg brick] 4.5 – 7.0 0.7 – 0.9

Emissions (SPM [mg/m³]) ~ 1,900 ~ 150

Emissions (CO2 [kg/1000 brick]) ~ 900 ~ 280

Breakage 15 – 20% < 5%

Homogeneity of temperature Low High

Heat recovery for drying No Yes

Workplace emissions High Low

Product quality Low High

Production season During dry season All year round

Possible Fuels Wood logs Coal peas or large pieces (i.e. 10mm – 75mm)

Coal dust (waste product of coal mining)

Industrial waste material as small grains or pelletised

- Tobacco industry (dust + stems + boiler ash)

- Sugar industry (bagasse)

- Oil production (press cake)

- Boiler ash

Bio matter grains or pelletised