[Stoves] Africa's future lies in energy-saving jiko

[Nikhil Desai]

Teddy: It's not an "international" opinion, just a foreign media outlet -
Xinhua - rather than a Kenyan one.

The trials of "smart meters" Kinyua refers to might be something like what
I heard from Envirofit in an EPA/Winrock webinar a few days ago. The "pay
as you go" technique is applied to "pay as you cook". I didn't think there
is a physical token to be inserted, just that money was deducted from a
pre-paid account that can be recharged by phone.

Quite interesting. Might be applicable to electical induction stove,
microwave, kettle, each appliance at a time rather than the usual
load-limiters on things like "ready boards" if you have seen in Kenya. Can
give imported LPG with erratic prices a good competition.

Stacking will become more common. There is not just one use for a cookstove
that is best met by only one type, at least not for quite a few  years as
behavior and economics change.

Tom: If the news on LPG promotion seems to be contrary to the LPG price
increase but warranted because of the increase in charcoal prices, I
suspect two forces may be at work: higher costs of charcoal delivered to
Nairobi because of longer distances or higher labor/transport costs, AND
the LPG price increase itself.

Back some 20 years ago, an agicultural economist had posed his finding in
Malawi -- that charcoal prices increased to the netback values (adjusted
for efficiency and time premium) dictated by LPG prices. When LPG prices
were low, charcoal makers made charcoal close by Lilongwe and reduced their
profit margins. When LPG prices rose, the demand for charcoal increased but
so did the netback value for charcoal at source. So they expanded the
geographical scope, hired more bicycle transporters, and increased their
profit margins.

Depending on the extent of stacking, different consumer segments may
increase the aggregate demand for LPG in Kenya. Promises of health benefits
and scare of GHGs aside, modernizing the entire supply chain of charcoal
can give inland cities like Nairobi, Kampala, Lilongwe a competitive answer
to LPG and electricity.

Nikhil


On Fri, Dec 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, Cookswell Jikos <cookswelljikos at gmail.com>
wrote:

> And an international opinion on local cooking;
>
> http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-12/14/c_136826471.htm
>
> ''NAIROBI, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's energy regulator said Thursday it
> has embarked on initiatives aimed at reducing biomass fuel use in the
> country.
>
> Edward Kinyua, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Acting Director for
> Petroleum, said plans are underway to introduce purchase of Liquid
> Petroleum Gas (LPG) through mobile phones and also the introduction of 500
> grams gas cylinder for use by the low income earners.
>


> "We intend to contribute to the citizen's well-being by ensuring that they
> use clean energy while cooking as opposed to firewood and kerosene that
> contributes to deaths of many women and children," Kinyua said in Nairobi.
>
> He said that the purchase of the LPG will be effected soon once the smart
> meters are installed by a team of consultants that include scientists from
> Colorado University who are currently running trials in the informal
> settlements in Nairobi.
>
> Kinyua said that the technology will enable people to purchase LPG through
> prepaid token depending on the amount of money one has from their mobile
> phones at anytime as is the case with mobile shopping.
>
> "This will help increase penetration of gas cylinders and also access to
> clean energy to consumers and contribute to the reduction of indoor
> pollution that is blamed for deaths of many people in the country," he
> added.
>


> Kinyua also announced that additional gas cylinder weighing 500 grams will
> be introduced to cater for people in the informal settlements and far flung
> villages to reduce cutting of trees for fuel once approved by the Kenya
> Bureau of Statistics (KBS).
>
> In Kenya, LPG is sold in one, three, six and 13 kilograms unit, at a price
> that is far above low income earners who mainly depend on fuel wood and
> charcoal for cooking and heating their houses.
>
> Air pollution is a major contributor to respiratory diseases in Kenya and
> it kills 14,300 Kenyans annually while the number of people with
> respiratory diseases increased by 63 percent over a four-year period from
> 12.2 million in 2012 to 19.9 million in 2016.
>


> Kinyua said that a number of people fall victims because they use
> traditional fuels and kerosene for cooking and heating.
>


> Air pollution from indoor and outdoor sources remains a major
> environmental and health issue, and a policy challenge especially in Kenya
> that is rapidly urbanizing.''
> Teddy Kinyanjui
> Sustainability Director
>
>
>
> On Wed, Dec 13, 2017 at 9:13 PM, <tmiles at trmiles.com> wrote:
>
>> A local opinion:
>>
>> https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001262932/africa-s-
>> future-lies-in-energy-saving-jiko
>>
>> Africa’s future lies in energy-saving jiko
>>
>> By David Manoa <https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/author/David-Manoa> | Published
>> Wed, December 13th 2017 at 00:00, Updated December 12th 2017 at 22:24 GMT +3
>>
>>
>>
>> Also,
>>
>> *Charcoal costs hit new record as cooking gas demand drops*
>>
>> Sunday, December 10, 2017 22:00
>>
>> By TIMOTHY ODINGA
>> ''Charcoal prices have hit a new record in a period that has seen demand
>> for cooking gas fall on rising costs.
>>
>

> Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that the
>> price of charcoal in a four-kilogramme tin has steadily risen to an average
>> of Sh81.91, the highest since the agency started making public monthly
>> prices of the commodity in 2007.
>>
>> Charcoal prices have more than doubled since 2008 when the tin retailed
>> at an average of Sh35, a blow to low-income h...ouseholds.
>>
>> But gas prices have been rising since March with the 13kg cylinder
>> currently retailing at Sh2,250 from slightly below Sh2,000 in March. This
>> has triggered a drop in consumption from 5,690 tonnes in the three months
>> to March to 3,790 tonnes in the quarter to July, a 33 per cent drop. ''
>> from the
>>
> BUSINESS DAILY AFRICA
>>
> http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/economy/Charcoal-costs-
>> hit-new-record-as-cooking-gas-demand-drops/3946234-4222584-y
>> l3ikrz/index.html
>>
>>
>>
>
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