Brick manufacturing units using HHK tech honoured

 The country's first ever energy-efficient brick kiln project to earn carbon credits, Improving Kiln Efficiency in the Brick Making Industry in Bangladesh, Thursday celebrated the distribution of the revenue generated by its first sale of emission reductions to the World Bank's Community Development Carbon Fund.

IIDFC, a leading financial institution in the country, honoured six brick manufacturing units with certificates of recognition for their contribution to emission reduction through introduction of HHK technology in their respective units and distributed carbon revenue worth US$91,594 among six participating brick kilns which together have reduced 15,857 tons of carbon dioxide by using the energy-efficient Hybrid Hoffman Kiln (HHK) technology.

These brick kilns are part of the country's first Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project in the brick sector, implemented by the project developer IIDFC.   

Meanwhile, IIDFC is currently in discussions with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to sell 100,000 ton of CO2 for the 2016-2019 period which will generate further foreign exchange revenue.

 "Today, it is with great joy that I am able to finally hand over cheques and certificates of emission reductions to the owners of the brick kilns that have participated in the project. They have done an impressive job in lowering emissions and implementing great benefits to their staff, including health and safety measures, and they are finally reaping the benefits of many years of hard work," said M. Matiul Islam, Chairman of IIDFC in a ceremony held on the day.

The ceremony was attended by the Directors of the IIDFC Board, IIDFC Managing Director Md. Asaduzzaman Khan, IIDFC CDM Project Manager Shafiqul Alam and the World Bank Senior Social Specialist T. K. Barua.

The project is creating a triple win: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, creating a revenue stream through the sale of carbon credits, and improving the livelihoods of brick-workers in Bangladesh. In addition to emission reductions and providing year-round employment to previously seasonal workers, the project is using part of the carbon revenues for implementing important environmental and social safeguard policies on sanitation, safety gear, first aid and regular check-ups for workers with a physician.

The CDM project uses ground breaking HHK technology, which is 50% energy efficient and as such, cuts pollution in half. Project implementation started in 2006, and in 2009 two Emission Reduction Purchase Agreements (ERPAs) were signed between IIDFC, the World Bank and the Danish Ministry of Energy and Climate Change for the purchase of carbon credits generated by the project.

The project, the first of its kind in the country, is serving as an example to others to construct brick kilns using more energy-efficient and less polluting technologies such as HHK and tunnel kiln technology. Brick-making in Bangladesh is traditionally a highly polluting activity, using mostly Fixed Chimney Kiln (FCK) technology, which emits approximately 8.75 million tons of carbon dioxide per year. It is also seasonal, with operations limited to the 5-6 month dry period, and lacking in hygiene and basic health and safety measures.

The project was registered in 2011 with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its first ten year crediting period started in September 2011.  During the first year, i.e., September 2011 to August 2012, the project reduced 15,857 tons of carbon dioxide. This project is expected to generate more than US$ 1.5 million in carbon revenues in the next two and a half years. The project was selected to offset the travel emissions of COP 15 delegates (the 15th Conference of the Parties under UNFCCC) held in Denmark in 2009. The project also received the "HSBC-Daily Star Climate Award" in 2010 as the best CDM greenhouse gas mitigation project.

It may also be mentioned that the government, in recognition of the importance of introducing HHK Technology in the brick manufacturing industry, has for the first time proposed tax rebate for the brick units using the green technology in the 2014-2015 budget.

The brick manufacturing companies those were honoured in the event are Kapita Auto Bricks, Sunflower Bricks and Construction, Diamond Auto Bricks, Universal Bricks and Banolota Refractory Bricks.