Malawi faces severe challenges from energy poverty, deforestation, and indoor air pollution, with over 90% of households relying primarily on traditional solid fuel stoves or three-stone/open fire. Traditional cooking methods contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and negatively affect the health and well-being of women and children.

To address this, the activity includes disseminating improved biomass cookstoves (ICS) to target households using traditional modes of cooking. The ICS models proposed for distribution under the activity have been implemented in many regions across Sub-Saharan Africa and have been found to effectively cook a variety of traditional African dishes, including traditional Nsima in Malawi, that require longer boiling times, consistent heat delivery, and superior temperature control.

BioLite plans to sell and distribute approximately 400,000 ICS across Malawi between 2025 and 2027. The ICS disseminated under the project are designed to improve fuel combustion and aid heat transfer.

BioLite will be distributing 2 models of ICS:

(a) The HomeStove, an ultra-clean, fan-assisted biomass stove that cuts toxic pollutant emissions by around 90% and reduces fuel use by around 50%. In addition, the HomeStove also generates electricity, providing users with reliable, on-demand electricity in a day’s cooking to fully charge a mobile phone and provide an evening’s worth of bright, LED light.

(b) The Dura – the entry unit wood-burning stove is a robust, affordable Tier 4 thermal efficiency stove and allows end users to save around 40% on fuel and around 55% on emissions.

The distribution will be carried out by local distribution partners in Malawi.

The activity is made financially viable through carbon revenue from the sale of ITMOs to the KliK Foundation. These revenues help subsidize stove prices, making them affordable to households otherwise unable to purchase clean cooking solutions. The support of the KliK Foundation is crucial: the project would be financially infeasible without carbon revenues, and upfront financing for manufacturing, distribution, and monitoring would be unavailable.

The project is not included in Malawi’s unconditional NDC package, and emission reductions will not be claimed by the government.

Time Saving: Reduced time spent collecting firewood and cooking allows women, who typically perform these tasks, to focus on productive, educational, and income-generating activities.
Health Benefits: More efficient cookstoves lower indoor air pollution, reducing related health risks.
Forest Conservation: Less firewood demand helps prevent deforestation and forest degradation.
Empowering Women: Women in local communities, who primarily serve as trainers for the improved cookstoves, gain access to decent work opportunities.
SDGs: The activity contributes to several SDGs, including SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).