# How big is the Bihar brick sector, which kilns do they use, and how much energy goes into a brick?

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/answers/bihar-brick-kilns-6600-units-vsbk-energy-per-brick

Bihar has about 6,600 kilns making nearly 19.7 billion bricks a year on about 2.6 million tonnes of oil equivalent. Firing is mainly Bull's Trench Kilns, with limited zig-zag and vertical shaft kilns, on coal and biomass. That is roughly 132 g of oil equivalent a brick, well above Punjab's 79 g.

## The sector in numbers

- About 6,600 kilns.
- Nearly 19.7 billion bricks a year.
- Total energy about 2.6 million tonnes of oil equivalent a year.
- Mostly manual production, with some extruders.
- Firing mainly in Bull's Trench Kilns, with limited zig-zag and vertical shaft brick kilns.
- Coal and biomass are the main fuels.

## Who speaks for the sector

The Bihar Brick Manufacturers Association and the All India Brick and Tile Manufacturers Federation.

## Why the gap matters

On these totals Bihar uses about two thirds more energy per brick than Punjab. A kiln owner here has more room to cut fuel, and a lender or buyer has a reason to ask what the kiln is doing about it.

## Energy per brick, from the sector totals (estimate)

- 2.6 million toe is 2.6 billion kg of oil equivalent.
- 2.6 billion divided by 19.7 billion bricks = about 0.132 kg, or 132 g, per brick.
- 132 divided by 79 for Punjab = about 1.7, so roughly two thirds more.

Rounded totals from SIDBI's assessment of the brick sector, so treat the per-brick figure as an estimate.

## What Senseible does here

Senseible reads coal, biomass, diesel and power bills into verified emission records for a kiln, so you can state a footprint per thousand bricks from your own documents. Verified here means rule checks passed against the evidence, not third-party assurance.

- [Brick kilns by state: count, fuel and energy](https://senseible.earth/answers/brick-kilns-by-state-count-fuel-energy)
- [SIDBI green loan for a fly ash brick unit](https://senseible.earth/answers/sidbi-gcf-loan-fly-ash-brick-unit)
- [MSME carbon number](https://senseible.earth/msme-carbon-number)

Sources: [SIDBI, ESIA and ESMP for direct financing, brick kiln sector](https://www.sidbi.in/assets/front/pdf/ESIA_ESMP_Brick_Kiln_English.pdf)

Last reviewed 2026-11-04.