Growing global demand and utilization of fossil fuels has elevated wealth creation, increased adverse impacts of climate change from greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions, and endangered public health. In most developing countries, biomass wastes, which include but are not limited to agricultural residues, are produced in large quantities annually. They are either inefficiently used or disposed of indiscriminately, which threatens the environment. It is possible to convert these wastes, through densification, into high-density and energy-efficient briquettes. Densification of biomass into briquettes presents a renewable energy option as an alternative to fossil fuels. This paper reviews biomass briquetting with reference to biomass resources, feedstock pre-processing, briquetting process parameters, briquetting technology, and briquettes quality evaluation parameters. The review also includes the economic aspect of briquetting relating to costs and feasibility.

The objective of this research was to investigate the quality of hybrid briquettes developed from corncobs (CC) and oil palm trunk bark (OPTB) under a low-pressure densification technique. The materials were combined in varying ratios of CC to OPTB (100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, 0:100) and wastepaper pulp (10% by weight) was added to each mixture as a binder. The briquettes were produced using a manually operated 20-tonne hydraulic piston press at 28 °C temperature and ≤7 MPa compaction pressure. The mechanical strength of the briquettes was determined by the drop test and compression test methods, while a bomb calorimeter was used to determine the calorific values. The results showed that the physical properties of hybrid briquettes ranged from 9.24–10.00% moisture content, 0.38–0.40 g/cm3 density, and 87.60%–92.00% water resistance. Mechanical strength showed a 98.28%–99.08% shatter index and 18.47–21.75 MPa compressive strength, while calorific values ranged from 16.54–16.91 MJ/kg. The hybrid briquettes fared better than the CC briquettes. The significance of this study lies in the production of briquettes with suitable physical, mechanical and thermal properties by utilizing OPTB which have hitherto not been used, mixed with corncobs. This could bring substantial environmental and socio-economic benefits to rural communities of the developing countries.

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In Nasarawa state, over 70% of the population are involved in subsistence farming. Varied agricultural resources are produced in millions of tons annually. Large quantity of residues is generated that are either left to rot on farmlands or disposed of by burning in open air. In many rural areas, the residues are also used in their raw form for cooking purposes which is inefficient. The disposal and use of the residues cause pollution in the environment which affects human health. Residues can provide a source of clean and renewable energy in the form of solid biofuel called briquettes through densification. Briquetting is a densification technology that converts residues with a low heating value per unit volume into high density and energy concentrated fuels. This paper offers a perspective on the potentials of agricultural residues in Nasarawa state to produce briquettes as an alternative clean and sustainable domestic cooking fuel. The paper concludes that briquettes could be economically and environmentally friendly alternative to fuelwood. The use of biomass briquettes would reduce dependence on fuelwood, environmental pollution and the amount of time spent on cooking. Adopting the briquetting technology will enhance access to clean and affordable energy in line with the 7th goal of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals.

Charcoal consumption is prevalent in the Sanaag province of North-Eastern Somalia amidst the energy crisis, leading to destruction of the fragile environment and negative impacts on citizen’s health. This study seeks to evaluate charcoal consumption trends among households. The objectives were to assess the households’ level of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding charcoal consumption, and to determine the association of knowledge and attitude with practices. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to 343 households who were selected using a multistage random sampling technique. Data were analyzed by both descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS. Findings showed that 79.3% of the respondents have a good level of knowledge, 63.6% have fair level of attitude, and a fair level of practice was displayed by 77.3%. A significant association was found of charcoal consumption practices with knowledge, but not with attitude. Results also suggest that good knowledge does not necessarily translate into good practice. Improving knowledge and attitude through appropriate intervention programs or policies can ensure sustainable charcoal consumption practice. This study is a substantial contribution to the literature on KAP relating to charcoal consumption among households in Somalia.

This study evaluated the technical and economic viability of a household scale composite briquette project. The objectives were to assess the quality of briquettes, estimate the cost of production, and determine the feasibility of the project. Briquettes were made from a blend of corncobs and the bark of oil palm trunk using a manual press. Production cost was estimated from the market price of commodities and specific economic indicators were used for feasibility analysis. Sensitivity analysis was performed on some essential input parameters that may affect the profitability of the project. Economic analysis revealed that the unit production cost of the briquettes was USD 0.16 per kg. The net present value was USD 6755.91 from the sale of briquettes at USD 0.26 per kg. An accounting profit is possible once briquette sales are above the break-even point of 7329.8 kg. Households could save about 25% from their per-capita expenditure on fuelwood when briquettes are utilized. Overall, the household briquette project is technically and economically viable in Nigeria. The significance of this study lies in the provision of a piece of baseline information to encourage local bio-energy development and serve as a guide for stakeholders in Nigeria with a potential interest in investing in briquette technology.

Materials on construction site management are critical issue within the Nigerian subcontractors. Often, movement of materials to site from one point to the other point leads to more cost of goods. Hence, management of construction materials in building industries is a crucial aspect in project management. If these are not done properly it will lead to high costs in the construction phase. The present research seeks to assess the impact of Poor Materials Management (PMM) on waste materials in project in FCT, Abuja, Nigeria. The research collects data through questionnaires from the field survey, interview and site observation. Descriptive statistics was used for the study, mean index score method of analysis were adopted. Result of the study indicates that considerable effect on material waste generation on any construction project site were observed as a result of poor materials management; effects on quality of building projects was observed to be moderate, and effects on profitability in the construction projects were observed to be both high and moderate.   The study concludes that effective management of materials in construction projects would decrease the amount of waste generation, raise the quality of construction work, and offer maximum profit to the contractors. The study  recommendations that the government agencies should collaborate with construction industry in Nigeria to develop policies for adoption on waste management plan for the construction industry and guarantee  that senior officers adopts the training and developing the younger staff on the latest techniques for site materials management and managerial tools.