Kenya
In Kenya, a large part of the domestic energy requirement is covered with traditional biomass. As many people still use inefficient three-stone-fires for cooking, the country’s firewood demand is higher than its annual supply. This deficit has led to high rates of deforestation resulting in desertification, land degradation, droughts and famine. At the same time, the electricity access rate in rural areas is still low. EnDev Kenya facilitates access to improved cookstoves to enhance clean cooking and promotes small solar systems for rural inhabitants.
Technologies used in this project
- Improved cookstoves
- Stand-alone systems
Country data
- People with access to modern cooking energy: 5,816,660*
- People with access to electricity: 456,742*
- SIs with access to modern energy services: 1,544*
- MSMEs with access to modern energy services: 13,030*
- *Achievements until December 2023
Approach
EnDev Kenya is composed of two core components: it facilitates access to modern cooking energy, promoting improved cookstoves (ICS) as well as to off-grid electrification, promoting small solar systems (picoPV) for the rural and peri-urban population.
The first component aims at enhancing adoption and usage of improved cookstoves (ICS) by establishing sustainable market structures, including production, marketing, installation and end-use of improved stoves. EnDev Kenya supports individuals, institutions or groups involved in the market of energy saving technology by providing training in technical and business skills. ICSs are much more efficient and resource-friendly than traditional stoves. If the ICSs are used correctly they save 40-50% of the firewood, compared to traditional three-stone fires.
For more effectiveness in the promotion and uptake of improved cookstoves, EnDev Kenya cooperates with a growing number of government departments, non-governmental organisations and private sector actors. EnDev Kenya is strongly involved in the coordination of the stove sector in Kenya and supports the Clean Cooking Alliance of Kenya which is also supported by the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. It implements the Kenya Country Action Plan by all its members, NGOs, pivate sector, research, governmental organisations.
The second component of EnDev Kenya facilitates access to off-grid electricity: Since mid-2012, EnDev Kenya supports high-quality, affordable and energy-efficient picoPV systems in rural areas. EnDev Kenya aims to establish and strengthen sustainable and commercially viable supply and distribution models for picoPV products particularly in rural areas. The implementation partner of the picoPV activities is SNV, the Netherlands Development Organisation.
Since 2014, three results-based financing (RBF) projects are implemented under EnDev Kenya. The picoPV RBF aims at building sustainable and affordable credit lines for small solar systems in rural areas in Kenya and is implemented by GIZ. The RBF project for mini-grid supports market creation for private sector operated solar-hybrid mini-grids in Kenya, also implemented by GIZ. The higher tier cookstove market acceleration RBF project is implemented by SNV. It provides incentives to financial institutions to promote financing schemes for advanced, higher tier cookstoves. All three RBF projects are designed to support the sector and complement existing EnDev interventions (as well as to ProSolar, a project of the Deutsche Klima-Technologie Initiative).
Impacts
The Kenyan stove sector is developing rapidly with upcoming new actors (private as well as public) and new technology. The stove business created employment in the production, marketing and installation sector. Particularly women gain independence as they engage in ICS activities. The use of ICS leads to better working conditions, less exposure to smoke and therefore improved health. Due to improved cookstoves in Kenya, about half a million tonnes of firewood and over 572,000 tonnes of CO2 are saved annually.
For its solar component, EnDev identified and trained new LMEs. Together with its partners, the project built 13 technical training institutions to provide training for solar technicians, and has supported a total of 450 active LMEs in promotional and consumer education events. EnDev Kenya is also in its first stage to implement the RBF parts of the component which started in 2015.
Promotion of Climate-Friendly Cooking: Kenya and Senegal
The project “Promotion of Climate-Friendly Cooking: Kenya and Senegal” is commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-financed by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Kenya’s Ministry of Energy, and Senegal’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development. The project is associated to the EnDev partnership and builds on the huge success of the EnDev programme. The aim is to accelerate the growth of a sustainable market for affordable, high quality improved cookstoves by supporting the demand as well as the supply side.
Sustainable Energy for Smallholder Farmers in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda
The project “Sustainable Energy for Smallholder Farmers in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda” focuses on solar technologies and services for irrigation, cooling and drying for smallholder farmers in dairy and horticultural value chains to achieve increased productivity, improved nutritional outcomes, higher incomes, and improved climate-resilience and food security. The project will identify and pilot scalable, innovative solar business cases for smallholder farmers and related local businesses. In addition, smallholder farmers, agri-businesses and renewable energy enterprises will receive access to solar energy solutions and technological know-how.
Strengthening the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem for Clean Cooking (SEE-CC)
In close partnership with EnDev, the SEE-CC programme introduces a new private-sector approach to promote clean and affordable cooking in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Niger and Uganda.
Smart Communities Coalition Fund (SCCIF)
Funded by USAID and Power Africa, the SCCIF is a financing mechanism that was designed and set-up by EnDev to complement the activities of the Smart Communities Coalition (SCC). The SCC seeks to improve delivery of essential services to forcibly displaced individuals and host community members through energy access, connectivity, and digital tools. Through the SCCIF, EnDev is supporting six private sector-led innovative projects to advance their off grid solar enabled solutions in the settlements of Adjumani, Kiryandongo, Imvepi, Nakivale and Rwamwanja Refugee Settlements in Uganda and Kakuma Camp in Kenya.
