Review of Household Clean Energy Technology for Lighting, Charging and Cooking in East Africa-Kenya and Tanzania: A Learning Report, 2012.
Submitted By: GVEP International
This learning report documents the findings of a review of household clean energy technologies for lighting, charging and cooking in Kenya and Tanzania. It includes details on energy technology suppliers in Kenya and Tanzania, insights from other stakeholder activities in household energy and findings from surveys conducted at African Wildlife Foundations’ site in Imbirikani, Kenya and Jane Goodall Institute’s site in Kigoma Tanzania.
The report focuses on the technologies of improved cookstoves, biomass briquettes and ecocharcoal, solar technologies, biogas and wind. A range of product types exist for each technology option including both imported and locally produced products which vary in capacity and price. The energy market in Kenya is slightly more advanced than in neighbouring Tanzania and this report has listed key suppliers of these technologies in both countries. Whilst most are located in the major cities such as Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam they will supply countrywide and are expanding their activities into rural areas through partnerships and dealer networks.
Some of the conclusions drawn from site surveys conducted at the Imbirikani Group Ranch in Kenya and the Gombe-Masito-Ugalla Landscape in Kigoma Tanzania include:
- Firewood use within both areas is high, whilst charcoal is limited to the main towns and surrounding areas. The use of the three stone fire is high in both areas and few homes are using improved stoves. In Kenya many people feel they do not know any other way to cook than with the three stone fire, indicating that switching from this cooking practice represents a significant behaviour change. Awareness and availability of the stoves is also a factor at both sites with many households not knowing where to purchase these items.
- Fixed wood stoves with chimneys are suitable for both sites as well as portable charcoal stoves in more urban areas. Existing domestic stove producers around the Imbirikani site could be supported to expand their product range and reach. No domestic stove producers were identified at the Tanzania site although locally made wood stoves had been introduced by JGI. There is scope to develop the market for charcoal stoves in Kigoma town but further assessment of the demand would need to be done and production established locally.
