Ethanol Gel Fueled Stoves

This project promotes the use of clean cooking fuels across Kenya by gradually replacing biomass and other dirty fuels with clean-burning, bio-ethanol gel-fueled stoves. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants, switching to the ethanol gel stoves lowers the amount of life-threatening indoor air pollution and indirectly protects women’s lives from physical overburden and assault.

Fast facts:

8,500 Moto Poa stoves and more than 500,000 liters of gel marketed;
Sellers receive a commission of $5 per unit;
Nairobi County pilot project is set to eventually be rolled out to 47 counties;
Marketing strategy involving 52 vendors in the making;
New ethanol gel processing plant planned with capacity to produce 500,000 liters monthly, resulting in 1,175 jobs for Kenyans.

The problem

Women and girls throughout Kenya walk long distances to collect firewood for cooking fuel, particularly in rural areas. Their trips are time-consuming and can be dangerous, as the loads are heavy and being alone far from settled areas makes them vulnerable to assault. In addition, burning biomass or fossil fuels emits health-damaging pollutants like particulates, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides in smoke, leading to illness and premature death, especially among children.

The solution

The Moto Poa ethanol gel used in this project is a renewable product made from locally and regionally produced molasses, a byproduct of sugar production. It burns cleaner than the current cooking fuels of dung, crop waste, wood, charcoal, and liquid kerosene being used by the majority of urban, low-income Kenyans.

People organized in women’s and youth groups sell the units door-to-door and earn a per-unit commission, thereby increasing their income and also allowing youth to save money for school and university fees. A marketing strategy is in the making involving vendors, who will work with women and young salespeople who promote the cooker door-to-door for commission.

Helping the planet

The use of ethanol gel reduces deforestation caused by trees being felled for firewood and charcoal production. It also reduces harmful emissions into the atmosphere, including greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

Helping people

The affordable clean cookers reduce hazardous air pollutants within households. They also result in better safety for the women and girls who would otherwise have to collect firewood, in addition to freeing up time for them to spend with their families as well as on income-generating activities. Finally, there will be fewer injuries and fires previously related to the use of highly flammable kerosene.

Providing jobs will motivate youth, encouraging them to make an honest living. The project will also contribute to peace among communities, as people will no longer have to fight over scarce resources.

Scaling up

There are plans to increase ethanol gel processing and eventually shift production of the stoves from China to Kenya. This will expand the local market for the cookers and fuel while also allowing for a transfer of technology in many areas, such as engineering, production, human resources and information technology. More ethanol gel plants are already planned for Kenya, while a new marketing and distribution strategy is intended to target all of Kenya over the next five years.

Moto Poa gel and stoves have also proven to be very popular in neighboring Tanzania, especially in low-income urban areas as an alternative to kerosene fuel. This means that market potential in Tanzania can eventually be tapped as well.