About 107 brick kilns in the Kathmandu Valley require 68,500 tons of coal annually and are the source of 9.61 percent of the Total Suspended Particles (TSP) and 11.36 percent of the particulate matter less than 10 microns (PM10) in the Valley. Since the coal is transported all the way from, the transportation of such quantity of coal from Assam to the Valley (1300 km) also increases the carbon foot print.

On the other hand, the coal in the brick kiln can partially be replaced by biomass-based carbonized fuel (Bio-char) which could easily be produced from Community forests within the country. Bio-char is suitable for brick kilns for a number of reasons. One, bricks industry is also looking for alternative fuel for firing bricks mainly due to sharp increase in energy cost. The current selling price of char is Rs 20 per kg where as the current price of coal in the market is about Rs 22.00 per kg. Two, the heating value of char is 20% higher than that of coal. Three, it is also superior to bee-hive briquette reducing the risk factor of breakage and wastage. Four, the industrial use of char can bring-in economic return to the community forest users groups by utilizing forest waste to the fullest potential if the industrial demand is linked to char supply. Five, it reduces the noxious emissions including CO2, SO2 and other particulate matters.

The result of the action research showed that, generated from non timber woody plants and waste from different community forests, can be used for brick firing instead of coal. There is a proven result that the char dust produced from such forest waste can substitute 70% of coal and it can potentially substitute imported and expensive coal to fire bricks in the Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln (VSBK), if produced and supplied in adequate quantity. The environmental performance (45% less SPM emission and 50% less SOx emission) and economical performance (50% IRR with char fuel compared to 35% IRR when fired with coal) of the VSBK was further improved with the use of char as energy/fuel for brick firing.

An applied research project (funded by NORAD) has tested two types of ?improved charring technologies successfully. The two types of charring technologies are i) movable improved charring kiln (MICK) and ii) fixed improved charring retort (FICR). Compared to current charcoal production technology (i.e. earth pit system), these improved charring technologies have higher efficiencies, increases charcoal production by at least two folds, decreases CO emission and improves the occupational health status of poor charcoal producers.

The project aimed pilot test the use of bio-char in the brick kiln in Lalitpur and also build the local capacity to produce bio-char in the selected community forestry.