Modernizing the manufacturing units for Moroccan SME specialized in the production of clay bricks.

Maro Briq is a Moroccan SME specialized in the production of clay bricks. The production facility located in the city of Nador and occupies an area of more than 10 hectares. All bricks are manufactured in compliance with technical standards and Moroccan regulation, the first energy consumption item identified relates to the consumption of electrical equipment used for grinding, kneading, and mixing the raw material and the second consumption item relates to the use of coke and fuel by the brick cooking and drying equipment’s.

Maro Briq has invested in the acquisition of new machines that consume less energy and are more efficient to replace its old obsolete machines, to modernize its manufacturing facility of clay bricks. The new investment consists of the renovation following equipment’s:

• Renovation of the roller mill and the molding machine to obtain a raw material with a perfect grain size and texture for the subsequent shaping of products.
• Replacement of the vacuum pump of the molding machine which permits a significant waste reduction from clay paste sausages, lower humidity and thus energy consumption.
• Acquisition of two hot-air generators fueled by olive makes it possible to reduce the brick breakage and to use the maximum capacity of the firing kiln.
• Acquisition of an automatic laminating machine adapted to the capacity of the cooking oven and made enables to minimizes breakage.

This new investment benefiting from the technical assistance and financing provided by Green Value Chain has enabled the company to further improve its productivity and competitiveness, thanks to a reduction in electrical energy consumption by 1,266 MWh per year and reduced Maro Briq’s CO2 emissions by 56.5% due to the conversion of the hot gas generators from fuel-oil to olive pits. In addition, the implementation of the project enabled an average annual monetary saving of MAD 2,195,000 per year.

Green Value Chain (GVC) in Morocco is a credit facility of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to provide funding to local partner financial institutions for on-lending to Moroccan SMEs belonging to agribusiness, processing industries and logistics value chains and ecosystems. Supported by the European Union, the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Korean Technical Assistance and Cooperation Account (KTACA) and the EBRD Shareholder Special Fund (EBRD SSF), the facility aims to improve competitiveness of SMEs and that of their value chains and ecosystems through highly efficient green investments.