Other Studies
There are many countries where an ethanol stove and fuel project can address some of the most pressing energy poverty issues.
South Africa
In 2001, Project Gaia conducted pilot tests on the Origo 3000 stove (a precursor to the CleanCook) in eMbalenhle Township, 140 km southeast from Johannesburg with methanol fuel.
An estimated 20 million South African households rely on polluting solid fuels such as coal and firewood. They consume over 700 million liters of kerosene annually leading to: 80,000 children ingesting kerosene, 40,000 children developing chemical pneumonia as a result, and more than 200,000 people injured or losing their homes. LPG (liquified petroleum gas) is too expensive for most households.
To determine how well an ethanol stove fits a country’s cooking culture, local cooks preform a standardized Controlled Cooking Test (CCT) of a traditional meal on a variety of locally available stoves. Cooks, like this woman in Madagascar, rate all stoves to identify the acceptability and comparative efficiency of each one. Help us reach out to more families.
Study results showed that:
• families liked the stove’s appearance and size (pots fit properly on the stove, and the stove stability and the spill-proof fuel canister made it very safe).
• heating power was greater than local paraffin stoves.
• taste and fuel economy were well-rated.
• best of all, the clean-burning stove neither smelled of paraffin nor stained the pots!
Further funding was not available at the time, but Project Gaia is interested in collaborating with new organizations to continue work in South Africa.
Madagascar
Project Gaia is working in a consortium (led by Practical Action Consulting) investigating ethanol as a household fuel in Madagascar in a project for the Government of Madagascar, funded by the World Bank (2008–2009).
Project Gaia is in early discussions with several other countries, such as Haiti and Kenya, on ways to introduce fuel-alcohol stoves.
Additional documentation of our other projects can be found here »