Mass Dissemination of Energy Efficient Cooking Stoves in Mali

Mali

The project aimed to enhance the production of efficient Cook-Stoves (CS) in Bamako (the capital), Mopti and Ségou (the secondary towns) in Mali. This was achieved through transferring the required technical know-how, providing training to existing and expanding local staff at the existing workshops and extending the distribution network. Furthermore, this project focused on supporting institutional initiatives in scaling-up and improving the local production of ceramic liners for the CS, as well as increasing the charcoal briquette production and supply chains. The project is successfully completed and has the following achievements: 1) Certification and labelling of the value chain via a quality control and monitoring system: A series of efficiency tests on stoves commonly used in Mali, to update the database on these appliances. The tests showed that: 100 % succeeded to thermal resistance tests; and 81% of clay liners resisted to mechanic tests. The suitable test equipment were provided (scales, thermometers dryer, security equipment, etc.), after receiving the new premises of completed trials. The establishment of a database listing the different CS tested and the main characteristics (efficiency size, price, advantages, disadvantages). The technology transfer to produce an improved stove technology in Mali, involved (i) facilitating exchanges between Katene Kadji manager and a Kenyan entrepreneur, (ii) organizing the production of suitable tools in Kenya and carrying them to Mali, to using these tools and producing CS with them, via a mission of the Kenyan entrepreneur in Bamako, (iii) testing the first CS in households, and (iv) adjusting the stove according to feedbacks. 2) Scaling-up: Scale up production, distribution and adoption: Monitoring as well as the equipment maintenance has gradually been taken over by local employee. The stock of 200 CS, set up in the second half of 2014, was thus supplemented by an additional 200 CS and the creation of a clay liners stock of 400 pieces. The management of these stocks is ensured within the PEA GIE, by a team composed of a tinsmith and a commercial agent, who were trained by GERES monitoring team. Furthermore, the WASSA communication campaign was launched in mid-2015, involving all the actors in the value chain. This campaign helped empower the PEA GIE (participation of commercial agents in the management of operations on D-Day) and ARFB. 3) Sustainable impact: The Carbon Credits reports were sent to UNFCCC for publication with having 4,272 CS monitored in the course of 2015. The expected volume of carbon credits resulting from this first verification is 2,965 CER. As a result the process is now able to continue for many years and working with the WASSA value chain partners on future perspectives is facilitated. 4) Supporting the entrepreneurs in the sustainable fuel briquette production/dissemination value chain: The project has developed several mature and/or cost- effective activities not only for improved stoves but also mastered their production facilities and to launch a promotional distribution phase of the produced briquettes (one Sewa CS bought = a 500g bag of briquettes for free) 5) Expanding and exit strategy evaluation, lessons learned, spreading and exit strategy: In terms of capitalization, the project conducted activities to gather the main lessons learned, and to spread them among West-African practitioners during different events. Two workshops were organized where one hundred participants from Mali and the neighbouring countries to establish a picture of the sector, share the results of the program with local practitioners, and develop a roadmap to set joint actions in Mali. Finally, this project helped to strengthen the different stakeholders (various local, institutional and private actors) in the domestic energy sector in West Africa by building on the experience of such project at sub-regional level.