| Company | Emerging Cooking Solutions (ECS) |
| Sector | Power / Energy |
| Country | Zambia |
| Total Project Cost | USD 5.89m |
| PIDG Commitment |
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| Dates of PIDG involvement |
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Over half of Zambia’s urban households rely on charcoal for their energy needs. As demand for fuelwood and charcoal has grown, Zambia has experienced some of the highest levels of deforestation seen on the continent, losing between 180,000 and 250,000 hectares of forest per year. Where fuelwood and charcoal are burnt from non-renewable sources, global greenhouse gases increase, which contributes to climate change. Scarcities due to overexploitation, coupled with stricter government regulation, are increasing the cost of firewood and charcoal and customers are looking for cleaner, more affordable alternatives.
Emerging Cooking Solutions (Supamoto) has developed Internet-of-Things (IoT)-enabled stoves which burn locally produced biomass pellets. PIDG and EDFI ElectriFi have invested to scale Supamoto’s offering in Zambia. The investment will enable Supamoto to upgrade pellet production and expand its logistics and distribution infrastructure to meet growing demand. The transaction will deliver 14,800 new cookstoves, benefiting up to 74,000 people (based on average household size).
As a subscription-based utility, Supamoto retains ownership of the stoves and maintains them, with customers committing to buy a minimum quantity of pellets per month. By targeting heavy charcoal users in urban and peri-urban areas, Supamoto’s offering will deliver both health and environmental benefits.
Fuel-efficient stoves significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions when compared to charcoal use, while also providing a use for waste products such as sawdust. Supamoto monitors actual fuel use and use that data to sell high-quality carbon credits on certified carbon markets under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement.
Carbon credits diversify Supamoto’s income, giving some protection from currency exchange risks. As Africa’s carbon markets grow, it is anticipated that the sale of carbon credits will replace the Modern Cooking Facility for Africa’s Results–Based Financing, enabling Supamoto to continue to ensure the affordability of stoves for low-income customers.
With access to Supamoto’s efficient biomass stoves, 14,800 households are expected to see a reduction in the weekly cost of fuel, as well as a reduction in the time taken to cook meals, a benefit which is expected to disproportionately impact women.
Once operating at scale, it is anticipated that Supamoto will attract further private sector investment to grow its business across sub-Saharan Africa.
