Prospects for Coal Briquettes as a Substitute Fuel for Wood and ...

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must be ascertained. The location of coal deposftsr economic vdabil ity,
and proximity to existing transportation systems and markets must a1 so
be defined. The coal deposits' location and their proximity to existing
Infrastructure w i l l affect the cost of the coal briquetting technology.
2. -W&KFT ASS-T. In order to determine the best candidate
communities and users8 a market feasibil ity study should be undertaken.
Where feasible, a prel iminary step to carrying out the market study
would be to assess the capabilities of local market research flrmsj one
of these firms could implement the actual study. The market assessment
i tsel f shoul d i ncl ude examinati on of the target popul ati on8
socioeconomic and cultural characteristics (particularly with respect to
cookinglr urban fuel user fuel prices, and obstacles to acceptance of
the new coal-based fuel, etc.
The ma.rket study should begin with a thorough assessment of current
fuels used, their sourcesI their prices, and the quantities used per
year. The assessment w i l l in most cases occur in selected urban
centers for reasons noted below. The fuel types and quantities will
affect the volume of coal and bricuettes that can pstentlally penetrate
the market. The prices of alternative fuels w i l l be a primary
determinant of the potential of smDkeless coal briquettes. Not only the
current pricer but a near-term fcirecast of fuel prices and quantities
would be helpful in determining the necessary entry price for coal
briquettes. A1 so, determining the current sources of firwood and
charcoal supply would help evaluate the potential for smokeless coal
briquettes to penetrate the fuel use market and reduce deforestation.
An assessment of the country's demographics and a particul as examination
of the target populationfs socioeconomic and cultural make-up are a
second part to the market study. Examination of the proportion of
people in cities versus those in rural areas and the distribution of the
inhabitants in these settings w ill affect the market potentlal of
briquettes. It seems clear that in most countrfes, the initial
introduction of smoke1 ess coal briquettes w 111 take pl ace in urban
areas? both to take advantage of a concentrated market and because the
fuelWood deficiencies are most acute in cities. Also9 the rural
population may not be in a commercial firewood market, and generating a
commerci a1 market for briquettes coul d be di fficul t.
The market assessment should examine energy use by fuel type in
different economic Sectors, incl udi ng househol dsr commerci a1
establ ishments, small industries, and pub1 ic institutions. The:
potenti a1 for substitution of smoke1 ess coal briquettes in each of these
sectors must be eval uated. Besides pricer one highly significant factor
for substitution possibil ities is consumer acceptance. What
characteristics must the briquette have to obtain acceptance, e.g.
sizet shapet ignitibil ity, packagiEg, distribution points, needs for new
equipment? How does the user feel about using smokeless coal relative
to the current fuel used? One approach is to conduct surveys of certain
sectorsp say the househol d and commerci a1 sectors. These surveys
assessi ng the potenti a1 acceptance of smoke1 ess coal briquettes cou7 d be
tied together with the information gathering on current fuel use and
prices.