Brick Kilns Performance Assessment

The report evaluates five brick-firing technologies: Fixed Chimney Bulls Trench Kiln (FCBTK), Zig-zag Kiln, Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln (VSBK), Down-Draught Kiln (DDK), and Tunnel Kiln. VSBK is identified as the most energy-efficient and lowest emitting technology, while DDK is the least efficient. Zig-zag kilns are proposed as the most logical replacement for the prevalent FCBTKs due to lower investment costs and better performance. The study highlights significant barriers to modernization in India, including labor shortages, rising fuel costs, and land lease restrictions. It recommends a roadmap including the phase-out of FCBTKs by 2020, promotion of internal fuels through semi-mechanization, and the launch of a national brick development programme to improve profitability and working conditions.

• The Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln (VSBK) is the most energy-efficient technology among those monitored, with the Vietnamese VSBK achieving the lowest Specific Energy Consumption (SEC) of 0.54 MJ/kg of fired brick.
• The Down-Draught Kiln (DDK) is the least efficient technology, consuming 4-5 times more energy than a VSBK, with an SEC of 2.9 MJ/kg of fired brick.
• VSBK and tunnel kilns exhibit the lowest emissions of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) and PM2.5, largely due to steady-state combustion and the use of internal fuels.
• Fixed Chimney Bulls Trench Kilns (FCBTK) and Down-Draught Kilns (DDK) produce the highest black carbon (BC) emissions because of intermittent fuel feeding and variable combustion conditions.
• Zig-zag kilns are identified as the most practical replacement for FCBTKs in India because they require lower capital investment, offer shorter payback periods, and can be retrofitted into existing FCBTK structures.
• Tunnel kilns provide the highest quality of fired bricks and the greatest versatility in products, but they require the highest capital investment (10-20 times more than other types) and have longer payback periods.
• The Indian brick industry faces severe labor shortages, which caused production decreases of up to 30% in some clusters during 2011, partly linked to the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA).
• Over 90% of brick kilns in the Indo-Gangetic plains are located on leased land, creating a significant barrier to investing in semi-mechanization and new technology.
• Implementing recommended measures, including the adoption of zig-zag and VSBK technologies and mechanized stoking, could save 2.5 to 5.0 million tons of coal annually and reduce CO2 emissions by 4.5 to 9.0 million tons per year.

APA

Maithel, S., Lalchandani, D., Malhotra, G., Bhanware, P., Uma, R., Ragavan, S., Athalye, V., KR, B., Reddy, S., Bond, T., Weyant, C., Baum, E., Thoa, V. T. K., Phuong, N. T., & Thanh, T. N. K. (2012). Brick Kilns Performance Assessment. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093607/Brick_Kilns_Performance_Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Maithel, Sameer, Dheeraj Lalchandani, Gaurav Malhotra, Prashant Bhanware, R. Uma, Santhosh Ragavan, Vasudev Athalye, et al. Brick Kilns Performance Assessment. Clean Air Task Force, 2012. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093607/Brick_Kilns_Performance_Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Maithel |first1=Sameer |last2=Lalchandani |first2=Dheeraj |last3=Malhotra |first3=Gaurav |last4=Bhanware |first4=Prashant |last5=Uma |first5=R. |last6=Ragavan |first6=Santhosh |last7=Athalye |first7=Vasudev |last8=KR |first8=Bindiya |last9=Reddy |first9=Sunil |display-authors=etal |title=Brick Kilns Performance Assessment |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=April 2012 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093607/Brick_Kilns_Performance_Assessment.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{maithel2012brick, author = {Maithel, Sameer and Lalchandani, Dheeraj and Malhotra, Gaurav and Bhanware, Prashant and Uma, R. and Ragavan, Santhosh and Athalye, Vasudev and KR, Bindiya and Reddy, Sunil and Bond, Tami and Weyant, Cheryl and Baum, Ellen and Thoa, Vu Thi Kim and Phuong, Nguyen Thu and Thanh, Tr n Kim}, title = {{Brick Kilns Performance Assessment}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2012}, month = apr, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093607/Brick_Kilns_Performance_Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }