Promotion of Market for Briquettes and ICS towards Access to Clean Cooking Solutions

In Bangladesh, households still depend primarily on firewood and other unprocessed biomass resources due to year-round availability, tradition and compatibility with no-cost traditional stoves. This project runs from 1 November 2019 to 30 June 2021 and will promote clean cooking solutions.

Providing access to clean and affordable household energy is essential in increasing living standards and good health. Sincere efforts are needed to transition from traditional technology to improved technology. Biomass briquettes can be an incredibly versatile fuel in the greater context of renewable energy and the circular sanitation economy.

Surveys show that a four-member family generally spends around Taka 1200/month for LPG, whereas Taka 800 (33% reduction) if they use briquettes (subject to seasonal variations). The Improved Cookstoves also play a vital role in bringing clean cooking solutions to households. Briquettes nexus with Improved Cookstoves will reduce carbon emissions, mitigate climate change, reduce household air pollution, and adhere to SDG Goals 7, 13, and 15. SNV targets market development for Faecal Sludge and un/underutilised biomass mixed Briquettes (FSmB) at the community level supported by Energising Development Partnership (EnDev).

The objectives of this project are:

• Strengthen the capacity of small and medium entrepreneurs for production and quality control of briquettes (from un/underused biomass, i.e., dried faecal sludge, sawdust, poultry litter, rice husk, agricultural residues, green jute sticks, and leaves, etc.).

• Strengthen the business and marketing capacity of local ICS and briquette manufacturers to promote the market of ICS nexus higher tier improved cookstoves (ICS).

• Technical Innovations and Upgradation for briquette production.

• Quality control of briquette production- optimising briquette composition, analysis of cooking performance with briquettes followed by Laboratory testing

• Sensitisation, Behavioral Change Campaigns (BCC), marketing, and business promotion of clean cooking.