Access to clean cooking energy is among the basic needs to people in order to move out of poverty. However, almost half of the world’s population and close to 90% of rural households in developing countries still rely on unprocessed biomass fuels. Like many other developing countries in Africa, more than 92% of the households’ cooking energy in Ethiopia is also sourced from biomass. These are typically burnt in poorly ventilated and poorly functioning stoves. Cooking with biomass energy emits pollutants associated with acute respiratory infections and chronic disease. Fuel wood collection and cooking are also considered as responsibility of women in Ethiopia. So, women spent more time on household activities, which leaves them with little time left for income generating work and education that leads to social imbalance. In general, cooking with biomass energy is causing problems such as indoor air pollution, climate change, deforestation, land degradation and reduction in agricultural production. Therefore, the objective of this project is to develop marketable modified rock cook stove that use a smokeless and reusable naturally abundant rock which is abundantly located in the country where this project is implemented. In general, this project intends to supply both rural and urban households with naturally available and combustible rock to replace charcoal and reduce carbon emission and mitigate climate change.
To improve the flammability of the natural rock, the modified rock cook stove is supplemented with solar energy powered air blower fan. Therefore, this project is having dual purpose on rural households as it provides stakeholders with rock cooking energy as well as rural electrification with solar energy. In short, we have conducted a pre-scale test at home and we have found a very successful result and the rock has a 100% capacity to replace fuel-wood and charcoal. It gives flame without releasing smoke and it has a great contribution to the current issue of climate change. Therefore, implementing this project generates income not only from selling the "GreStove" but also will collect income from the carbon financing market.
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