GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium

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Preface

Basics about Cooking Energy

Policy Advise on Cooking Energy


 

Biomass is the main source of primary energy in sub-Saharan Africa. In some countries wood fuels (firewood and charcoal) or agricultural waste account for more than 90% of total energy consumption. The wood fuel sector not only employs tens of thousands of people, it also contributes millions of dollars to local economies in the form of revenues, taxes, and incomes.

However, as it is seen as “traditional”, it is seldom given high priority in energy policies and poverty alleviation strategies. While White Papers for the power and petroleum sector exist in most countries, there are few similar strategies for the traditional use of biomass in the energy sector, in particular in Eastern and Southern Africa. Some countries have implemented isolated projects to demonstrate action and some have given it new attention by assigning biomass to the “renewables” sector. But in the common case, biomass is regarded as "non-renewable" and - if regulated at all - the political ambition is aiming at substituting biomass rather than making it clean and sustainable.

This transition of attitude of ministries from "leaving the biomass energy sector to manage itself" towards "planning for a substitution of biomass as the main fuel" has been triggered by the observation that in many African countries, biomass energy consumption has reached a stage where current supply-demand systems are no longer sustainable. Population growth, urbanization, but also the intra biomass transition from firewood to charcoal (on top of the low efficiency of carbonisation technologie) is accelerating this process. In many countries the “fuelwood gap” has become a reality or at least has appeared on the horizon.

This situation has also been aggravated by changes in the "modern energy sector". In some countries, the subsidies on electricity have been removed and prepaid metering has been introduced. In reaction to that, many households have "moved down the energy ladder" and returned to cooking with charcoal. Similarly, the supply of LPG and Kerosene has experienced shortages and price increases aswell, resulting in similar coping mechanisms. Hence the heavy dependence on biomass is not expected to change dramatically over the next couple of decades.

To resolve the problem of unsustainable use of biomass energy, a comprehensive strategy is required which encompasses options to improve the supply side of biomass fuels, to make the use of biomass energy more efficient as well as to identify realistic substitution possiblities where possible. Even if there is sufficient political support for a comprehensive biomass energy strategy, there is commonly a lack of capacity and knowledge for its development. And to make matters worse, it requires the collaboration between a variety of departments and ministries (e.g. energy, forestry, environment, agriculture, finance...).

Designing and Implementing Cooking Energy Interventions

Scoping 

ICS Supply Interventions

Woodfuel Supply Intervention

Cooking Energy Technologies and Practices

Cooking with Woodfuels (Firewood and Charcoal)

Cooking with other Biomass Fuels

Cooking with Nonbiomass Fuels

General Cooking Practices

Extra/ Bonus tracks

Cooking Energy in Refugee Situations

Space Heating with Stoves

Glossary

Imprint


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