The large quantities of agricultural residues produced in developing
countries can play a significant role in meeting their energy demand. However, the
abundant quantities of agricultural wastes and forest residues are neither managed
effectively nor utilised efficiently. In the case of Nepal these shortcomings are
observed even in the management and utilisation of wastes from medicinal herbs and
aromatic plants. The biomass wastes can be upgraded into a more convenient fuel by
briquetting. Recognising this, the Royal Nepal Academy of Science and Technology
(RONAST) has been conducting research and development activities in the field of
biomass briquetting since 1997. The academy has been successful in producing
biomass briquettes from alternate raw materials besides rice husk. Problems associated
with the high cost and wearing of screw have also been addressed. Realising the role of
appropriate cooking devices, RONAST has developed new briquette burning devices
and modified traditional stoves for firing biomass briquettes. This paper highlights the
findings related with the briquetting of alternative raw materials like pine needles,
banmara, wood shavings, aromatic and medicinal herbs, plastic waste etc. It also
discusses about a new cost effective technique of fabricating the screw used in the
heated-die screw-press briquetting machine, and its performance. Lastly the paper
provides an insight to the users perception of briquettes as domestic fuel.