Project overview

Delivering affordable modern cookstoves and biomass pellets to low-income households through an innovative delivery model called the ‘utility model’.

 

 

The challenge

Dirty fuels and inefficient stoves pose environmental and health risks to billions of people globally. Transitioning to clean cooking is challenging due to cost and accessibility issues. Current clean cooking solutions struggle to scale, especially when targeting low-income communities

Solution
A visit to the Savings Groups in Lusaka

 

Emerging Cooking Solutions (ECS) has pioneered a delivery model, called a utility model, that provides affordable access to clean cooking for low-income communities. ECS lends modern stoves to users who commit to buying biomass pellets at a 40 percent lower price than charcoal. The modern stoves are connected to an Internet of Things system, allowing ECS and its users to collect data and monitor stove usage to calculate its impact.

Switching to clean fuels and modern stoves through ECS’s Utility Model yields positive health outcomes, time and money savings and increased food security for low-income populations. Working with WFP Zambia, the pilot project aims to provide 300 cooking stoves to saving groups in Lusaka using this new delivery model. 

Impact
cooking
300
cooking stoves purchased
Distributed 300 stoves, enabling over 1000 individuals to cook meals cleanly and efficiently.
1,000
people reached
set up 19 distribution points through group leaders for the 19 Village Banking groups,
19
distribution points set up
Each household saved an average of 51% on monthly cooking fuel expenses.
51%
average household savings
“Previously, I would spend more than ZMW 1000 (approximately US$37) on cooking fuel, but with the Mini Moto, my monthly expenditure on cooking fuel has reduced to either ZMW 260 or ZMW 130 (US$10 or US$5). Additionally, the stove allows me to prepare meals in the shortest possible time.”
Namate Liangwile, an Emerging Cooking Solutions customer from Chilenje, Zambia
The Way Forward

Emerging Cooking Solutions became an alumnus of the WFP Innovation Accelerator sprint programme in 2024 but is still actively operating.

Beyond participating in the WFP Innovation Accelerator sprint programme, Emerging Cooking Solutions aims to reach a minimum of 1 million households over ten years.

 

Meet the team

Matthias Ohlsen
Matthias Ohlsen
Co-founder and CEO
Marion Peterson
Marion Peterson
Chief Operations Officer
Jason Andean
Jason Andean
Chief Operating Officer
Towela Nyirenda
Towela Nyirenda
Sales and After Sales Manager
Last updated: 01/11/2024