Improved Cookstoves Programs in Malawi (EnDev)

Overview

Malawi as one of the beneficiary of the Energising Development programme, has gained access to this partnership since 2012 with an overall aim to enable sustainable energy access for all. EnDev Malawi, which is located in Lilongwe has pioneered/coordinated projects, and assists in product market awareness campaigns among others. Its approach has been to involve well established non-governmental organizations in the energy sector to implement its projects. It is involved in three categories namely, Result Based Finance, National Cookstove Steering Committee Support and Commercialization of Energy Products.

Project Approach

EnDev Malawi is working to promote a financially sustainable market for improved cooking stoves in urban and peri-urban areas. To do this, it is carrying out measures to strengthen both the supply and the demand side. Demand-side activities focus on generating greater consumer interest in the ceramic, wood-burning stove known locally as the ‘Chitetezo Mbaula’ stove. On the supply side, EnDev Malawi through its NGO partners provides training and skills for the craftsmen who produce the stove. A local non-governmental organization, MAEVE, connects production to demand by liaising between the small-scale stove producers and large urban sales outlets such as supermarkets and filling stations.

The Government of Malawi has launched an initiative to get as many as two million energy-efficient stoves installed in Malawian homes by 2020. EnDev Malawi is advising the National Cookstove Taskforce on the implementation of this initiative.

In a separate component, EnDev is running a national awareness campaign to support the wider take-up of high quality solar lighting products (solar lanterns and lighting kits), with a target of reaching 100,000 people, mainly in rural areas.

Impacts

By December 2014, nearly 93,654 people had gained access to improved forms of energy for cooking, as a result of the project. The number of stoves manufactured by around 50 producer groups and subsequently sold through sales channels introduced by EnDev has risen to 8,000 each month. The stove-making business has created jobs for nearly 300women and 100 men.

Lessons Learnt & Outlook

Recently EnDev has started to also promote small solar appliances for lighting and phone charging in cooperation with the private sector. The stove component is building on the experience gained in carrying out the successful marketing campaign for cookstoves. After finalizing consultations with solar distributors, a national marketing campaign for high quality solar products which started rolling out in early 2015.

Projects

Result Based Financing (RBF)

Access to modern cooking energy for poor and vulnerable groups in Mozambique and Malawi

GIS Cookstove Mapping Database

As one way of tracking production and counting energy access, in particular towards the 2 million cookstove access, EnDev is formulating a GIS Cookstove Mapping System for production groups under different organisation within Malawi of course with their consent. The Idea is to capture all the stoves and make it accessible to organizations in Malawi. The database will be easily updated in particular tracking the production as any enumerator will easily track where the production groups exist.

About EnDev

Energising Development (EnDev) is an energy access partnership programme currently financed by six donor countries – the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Australia, the United Kingdom and Switzerland – which have provided EUR 263.26 million.The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH acts as a lead agency for the coordination and implementation of the programme and jointly coordinates with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) on the global level, as well as other implementation partners on the country level.

EnDev promotes sustainable access to modern energy services that meet the needs of the poor – long-lasting, affordable, and appreciated by users. It aims to provide energy access to a minimum of 18 million people worldwide by 2019. The bottom-up approach of EnDev, contributes to creating positive economic, social and environmental impacts. Since its initiation in 2005, EnDev has attained a prominent position in the international energy access debate. EnDev is one of the first outcome-based and performance-based programmes in the energy sector; as such, EnDev pioneers innovative approaches, develops new markets for pro-poor energy access and scales up successful interventions. Currently, EnDev is active in 24 developing countries while 50% of the funds are targeted at the least developed countries. A broad spectrum of technologies and a variety of project concepts and instruments are applied, corresponding to individual country situations. A thorough monitoring system measures the results on a permanent basis: by December 2014, a total of 13.9 million people, 16,000 social institutions, and 30,500 small enterprises have gained sustainable access to modern energy services.