Dometic AB is working closely with the Stokes Consulting Group within project Gaia, the mission of which is to promote alcohol fuels in the developing world as a solution to the dramatic and pervasive energy shortage experienced throughout the household energy sector. We are leading the way to alcohol fuels derived from currently wasted or under used resources, both biomass and hydrocarbon resources, for daily household use, including cooking, refrigeration, heating, lighting and electrical generation. To determine how best to create a successful household market for alcohol fuels Project Gaia is implementing test pilots in a number of African countries, including Ethiopia and Nigeria, of an alcohol-based stove developed by Dometic AB, the world's leading alcohol stove and appliance manufacturer. The stove, called the Clean Cook Stove, is one of the most efficient and safe stoves on the market today and burns very cleanly contributing to greatly improved air quality in the kitchen and courtyard. We are about to launch a baseline survey monitoring 500 homes in Addis Ababa, and 350 homes / institutions in rural areas, to establish household cooking habits and fuel consumption. Following the baseline survey we will introduce the Clean Cook stove to each of these households / institutions. An integral element of this survey will be the monitoring of current household and neighborhood air quality both before and after the introduction of the stove.
Contact Information
Within project Gaia we have completed a 500 stove pilot study in Addis Ababa across all income groups. Results have proved most favorable to the introduction of the alcohol-fueled CleanCook (CC) stove technology into homes. Additionally, we have successfully carried out mini-pilots in 3 UNHCR camps, with UNHCR deciding to scale-up our efforts in an east camp (Somali) in 2007 to include a total of 1000 stoves. A 100 stove pilot is coming to a close in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, where preliminary findings suggest that the CC stove can replace wood and LPG stoves, because it is more efficient, more economical, and, in relation to wood, more healthful, to cook with alcohol. Operations in Delta State, Nigeria are now getting underway. With kerosene prices continuing to rise, many households have returned to cooking with wood. Already, study participants are excited about the CC stove and have completely abandoned their wood and kerosene stoves in favor of the alcohol stove.
Our Experience And Interest In The Four PCIA Central Focus Areas
Always cognizant of such barriers, we have been quite surprised by the reactions most households in Ethiopia, Nigeria and Brazil have had to the new cooking technology. Some challenges, mostly in stove design to meet local cooking practices, do exist: a pan that fits the stove for cooking injera--Ethiopian flat bread eaten with all meals, 4 burners to meet Brazilian cooking habits which consist of a pot of beans, rice, meat, and a vegetable. Generally speaking, however, the majority of stove users easily adapted to cooking with the CC stove, and preferred using it over their traditional stoves. This was found in all income homes, both rural and urban, and in refugee camps.
We are interested in developing a new market for clean and renewable alcohol fuel. The stove and fuel should be affordable to the local population and in order to facilitate this we are working on ways to subsidize the cost of the stove such as CDM. We are also researching the possibility of micro financing as a means of purchasing the stove.
Our goal is to introduce a safe, clean and efficient alcohol fueled stove to Ethiopia, Nigeria and Brazil which will reduce indoor and neighborhood air pollution and dramatically improve household health. This stove will be rigorously tested during the pilot study and eventually altered and adapted to fit both the national industry and meet domestic needs.
Within the Gaia project we carefully monitor household and neighborhood air quality during the pilot study phase of the project. We measure air quality using standardized air monitoring equipment before, during and after the stoves are in the test households. We include a section about health in the baseline and follow-up surveys so that we can measure the impact that the stove have on household health. This has been faciliated with the assistance and under the guidance of the Center for Entrepreneurship in International Health and Development (CEIHD) program at the University of California, Berkeley.
Relevant Publications or Studies
Some of the Gaia reports are available on the bioenergy website . They are found under the Refugee section.
Our Contribution to the Partnership
Through Project Gaia and also by Dometic we will exchange experiences, share information, participate in relevant workshops and discussions and address inquiries pertaining to our field of expertise.
