The lack of access to improved cooking fuels is most extreme in Sub-Saharan Africa. Over 90% of households in Ethiopia rely on biomass for cooking. —UN Millennium Development Project (2005)
Project Gaia has started the journey toward an alcohol-driven household energy economy in Africa by launching the pilot testing of the CleanCook stove in Ethiopia. Our project seeks to harness the currently wasted or underutilized biomass and hydrocarbon resources in Ethiopia and to direct these into alcohol production for daily household use; initially, for cooking, and in the future, for refrigeration, heating, lighting, and generating electricity.
After our studies are completed, we expect new businesses will emerge and grow in response to local and national market demands, as well as to the demands of the export market throughout Africa.
Existing circumstances position Ethiopia to lead Africa in the creation of a household energy economy based on alcohol fuels.
• Ethiopia possesses a thriving, publicly owned sugar industry which produces eight million liters of ethanol annually from sugar cane waste, and is capable of producing much more.
• At present, no market exists for ethanol produced in Ethiopia.
• Ethiopia also holds substantial natural gas reserves which could be used for the production of methanol for household energy at a relatively low cost.
• Ethiopia currently imports petroleum fuels, including kerosene, one of the primary household fuels, to meet its energy needs, creating a significant impact on the country’s balance of trade.
• Ethiopian households rely overwhelmingly on biomass, which is dirty and hazardous, for their domestic energy requirements. The people urgently need a safer, cleaner alternative.
Like so many sub-Saharan African countries, Ethiopia is experiencing an energy crisis which is characterized by shortages of wood fuel and an overwhelming dependence (90%) on biomass for household energy supplies. This reliance on biomass has major implications for household health, women, refugees, and the environment.
Health. It is now widely accepted that exposure to Indoor Air Pollution (IAP) from burning biomass is responsible for about 1.5 million deaths annually, mainly in developing countries.
Gender. Women are at greatest risk from the health impacts of IAP since they do most of the cooking and are therefore exposed to high levels of pollution from burning biofuels for extended periods every day.
Environment. Fuelwood resources, especially surrounding refugee camps, are generally scarce, and the harvesting of trees for firewood has long been unsustainable in Ethiopia.
Throughout the pilot study, Project Gaia has introduced Ethiopian households to the CleanCook stove.
Stove performance. The CleanCook burns cleanly, with no soot when fueled by methanol or ethanol. It outperforms the kerosene wick stove and performs comparably to the LPG stove.
Alcohol fuel from existing resources. Since ethanol and methanol (both alcohols) can be produced from biomass, alcohol fuel production offers a way to turn currently underutilized or wasted resources into a valuable product.
Demand for ethanol will jump start the extraction of natural gas. Ethiopia has significant gas reserves. Currently these are difficult and costly to bring to market. In the longer term, they may be significantly extended with the addition of methanol, produced from natural gas.
TOP
The pilot study in Ethiopia began in 2004 with the introduction of 850 CleanCook stoves and ethanol for testing in various sites around Ethiopia, including private households of varying income level in Addis Ababa, UNHCR refugee camps, and other institutional settings. The primary objectives of the study included
• exploring existing fuel consumption patterns;
• testing the suitability of the stove and fuel in various settings in Ethiopia and addressing issues related to stove design and appropriateness of the technology;
• documenting various impacts associated with the new technology;
• exploring different marketing options for making the stove and fuel commercially viable in Ethiopia.
The findings of the pilot study were extremely favorable. Over 75,000 stove test days were logged in the city and the refugee camps without a single accident. Read detailed reports and analysis of the research. Here are some findings:
• The CleanCook stove has met with broad consumer acceptance and has replaced kerosene, charcoal, firewood and even liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in many of the test homes.
• Most respondents reported that the stove cooks faster than other stoves.
• Respondents reported relief from symptoms of asthma, burning, itching eyes, irritated nose and throat, and coughing.
• In the refugee camps, fuelwood gathering has been reduced 100% in some instances, and women have been liberated from the need to collect firewood.
• Many of these women are now using their time for other pursuits, including child care, home enterprise to earn money, and education. Watch the Gaia Association bring ethanol stoves to the Kebribeyah Refugee Camp.
Project Gaia Ethiopia has received funding from The Shell Foundation, SIDA, USEPA, Lutheran World Services, the U. S. Embassy, Ashden Award, and Dometic AB. Stokes Consulting Group, together with the Gaia Association, serve as project administrators. Other partners include, the Federal Government of Ethiopia, the UNHCR-RLO, UNDP, several nonprofit organizations and professional associations such as the Ethiopian Society of Chemical Engineers (ESCHE), and local private businesses, including Makobu Enterprises PLC.
If you would like more information about Project Gaia Ethiopia, or have questions about other Project Gaia activities, please contact us via email.
TOP
| 
