1. Product: Briquettes are made from agricultural residues by binding them by a briquette machine to be used as fuel which supplement or substitute traditional fuels (fuel wood and charcoal).
2. Rational:-Various studies indicate that over 90% of the national energy requirement is currently met from fire wood and other fuels. The scarcity and high cost of these fuels have become prevalent in major towns of the region. The deforestation of natural forests have created the recent acute problem of draught in the region. In the face of persistent foreign exchange constraints imported fuel substitutes cannot provide adequate solution to the problem. The annual surplus of agricultural residue (crop stalks, straws, husks... etc) that are presently damaged or left to rot or burned in the region can be made into briquette and serve as fuel wood both in the urban and rural areas of the region. Presently there is no factory that makes briquette in the region.
3. Market:-There is high demand for fuel in urban areas, which have become scarce and expensive. Briquette from agricultural residues can serve the growing demand. They are in expensive to transport and store, can be adopted to domestic cooking apparatus and industrial stoves.
4. Supply of Raw Material:-The raw material, agricultural residue is found in abundance in the region. The main materials are agricultural residues and binding additives that are all available locally.
5. Production Process and Technology (a) Production Process The process of briquette making involves, basically screening (to remove foreign matters) crushing and drying of input residues, feeding of the residues a binding agent into briquette machine, cutting of the briquette into predetermined standard size, cooling and packing.
b) Machinery and Equipment
The required production equipment are:
- Briquette machine
- Shredders (manual)
- Briquette cutter
- Drive motors (electric)
- Other (solar drying trays, slides, weight scale etc)
6. Estimated Investment:-The total investment required for briquette making plant is estimated to be Birr 850,000 including building, machinery and equipment and working capital.
7. Location:-All major urban centers which are surrounded by cereal growing areas:- Debre Markos, Debre Tabor, Debre Birhan.