Question: Why does a VSBK consume less energy than other brick making technologies?

Answer: The vertical shaft allows the best possible fuel combustion and reuses the heat of exhaust gasses to preheat of unfired bricks.

Question: Is the VSBK technology profitable?

Answer: VSBK is a firing technology reducing coal cost by up to 50%. However, a brick business consists of many more costs and profit factors, which have to be well managed for achieving profitability. Consequently a functional VSBK alone does not guarantee for profits. In Herat even First generation VSBKs were more profitable than clamp kilns and in Nepal and India, many brick-makers prefer third generation VSBKs rather than BTKs. Generally a VSBK is most competitive in areas where the coal costs per brick are higher than the profit margin. In Afghanistan, VSBKs with at least 4 shafts will be required for competing with a BTK. By the end of 2010, the operation and supply tuning of the VSBKs in Kabul was still in its early stage and has to be completed for reaching the profit zone.

Question: Why did certain entrepreneurs abandon the VSBKs operation in Kabul?

Answer: VSBK isn’t a plug-and-play technology. Piloting a new technology requires a considerable amount of management efforts and above all an enduring will to optimise the production by actively overcoming context-related obstacles. In the economic environment of Kabul, many pilot entrepreneurs hoped for a fast success but didn’t invest sufficient time, efforts and means into the production tuning, but shifted their attention to other (easier) business opportunities. It is likely that with increasing coal costs, certain VSBK entrepreneurs may re-launch production.

Question: Why did donor agencies support VSBK promotion in Afghanistan for only a few years?

Answer: GIZ has closed its brick programme in Pakistan and with it the related VSBK activities in Afghanistan. However, 2010 GIZ mandated Skat to assess options for promoting VSBK in the Afghan Uruzgan Province.

SDC interrupted the funding of VSBK promotion since it considered the actual context (political, economic, security etc) as unfavourable for environment projects. The rather passive attitude of the pilot entrepreneurs didn’t allow cost efficient implementation of an entrepreneur-driven technology transfer.

Question: Are VSBK bricks of good quality?

Answer: VSBK bricks in Nepal have higher strengths than BTK bricks. Depending on the preproduction method, colour and ring may slightly differ from BTK bricks. The bricks’ quality depends on a good production management and disciplined kiln operation.

Question: Can a VSBK be built with local material?

Answer: At present, all material for building a VSBK are locally produced or made available. Mechanic equipment was manufactured in local workshops and only the thermocouples were imported from India.

Question: Can VSBK be fired with local coal?

Answer: In Nepal, VSBK are fired with coal of a lower quality standard (low calorific value) being fired as external fuel. In Afghanistan, suitable coal mines have been identified, but will have to be reviewed, due to heterogeneous quality supplied by traditional coal traders. For achieving best profits, careful identification of the coal which suits to the respective clay is strongly recommended. Key factors are: calorific value, melting temperature of coal ashes relative to the vitrification temperature of the soil.

Question: Does VSBK qualify for Carbon Credits (CDM)?

Answer: Under the current Kyoto Protocol regulations, VSBK qualifies for carbon credits, as soon as a minimum of 10-20 VSBKs are operated. Once registered, a VSBK shaft can generate CO2 Certificates for 250-400 tCO2 per shaft and year, with a value of around 4,000-6,000 USD.

Question: Is the VSBK construction design available on internet?

Answer: Although VSBK is an open source technology, the detailed design is not available in the web, since the design of each VSBK varies depending on the required size of bricks and shrinkage percentage of clay at respective site. Therefore, a VSBK cannot just be built and run, without external support of an experienced VSBK brick-maker. In the past, many “fully self-made” VSBK ventures have repeatedly failed and finally left abandoned, and have given the technology a bad name.

Question: If VSBK is the most energy efficient brick making technology, why isn’t it the predominant kiln in the world?

Answer: The VSBK technology is relatively young (40 years) as compared to BTK (120 years), Hoffmann Kiln (150 years) and clamp kilns (5000 years). Profitable industries generally adopt new technologies slowly, even if their potential of increasing profits is considerable. Numerous experiences show, that without massive external pushes, conservative industries take nearly a decade for establishing a critical mass of new production units allowing industry-internal self-replication of the new production method. While in China, Vietnam and India, external (legal) factors have favoured this development, Nepal is about to reach the critical mass required for mass dissemination.

Question: Is there a guarantee that VSBK is profitable?

Answer: VSBK is “only” the firing device of a brick yard and engineers can only offer a guarantee for reduced fuel consumption of 20-40%, as compared to a BTK. Profitability of the brickyard can only be established by each entrepreneur individually by well managing the production, negotiating good supply contracts and marketing his products. Since these profit factors are under control of the entrepreneur, no engineer or donor can guarantee for the profitability of a (VSBK) brick business, but can support the entrepreneur in reaching the profit zone with a minimum of initial losses.

Question: Where can I get technical support for establishing a VSBK or for Promoting cleaner brick production?

Answer: Most engineers and fire masters trained by Skat and Minergy Nepal may be contacted through email or phone even after 2010. Minergy Nepal and Skat are administrating the Global VSBK Knowledge Hub, which may link interested entrepreneurs or institutions with respective experts

Contacts of skat and MinErgy are specified below:

Skat Consulting Ltd.
Vadianstrasse 42
CH-9000 St.Gallen
Switzerland

Phone: +41 71 228 54 54
Fax: +41 71 228 54 55
Web: http://www.skat.ch

or:

MinErgy Pvt. Ltd.
Lalitpur, Nepal

Phone: 00977 1 5520913
Email: info@minergynepal.com
Web: http://www.minergynepal.com