Benin Country Situation Stoves

1.1 Energy Sector

The government of Benin has given priority to the energy sector as an important field for a sustainable development in order to fight poverty. Main constraints are amongst others the high use of biomass energy (67% of the total energy consumption in 2002) and the poor efficiency of energy use, which causes negative effects on the environment. Therefore the national energy strategy aims at diminishing the increasing demand for traditional biomass energy. This should be achieved through a more economic use of wood energy, the dissemination of improved stoves and the promotion of other renewable energies for households.

Since 2005 the World Bank "Projet de Fourniture des Services Energie" (PFSE) operates in the fields of electricity and biomass energy. Improvement of carbonisation through improved charcoal kilns is one of their main issues. However, activities on improved cooking stoves dissemination are currently restricted to a few locations in the south. The political objective to increase the efficiency of biomass consumption countrywide has not been achieved within the past and substitution of biomass was not successful. Biomass energy should be replaced by gas and ethanol, but despite subsidies for gas the equipment is too expensive as well as ethanol.

1.2 Problem Situation

More than 90% of the population in the Northern region of Benin relies exclusively on biomass to satisfy their demand for household energy. In the project area of ProCGRN in Atakora and Donga, which is very rural, this figure is even higher. Approximately one million inhabitants are targeted, of which about 25% are considered to be extremely poor, 50% are vulnerable and only 25% are not poor. Expenditures for energy and grinding accounts for 24% and is the second highest item for monetary household expenditures.

ProCGRN encourages a sustainable utilisation of natural resources and thus aims at increasing agricultural and forestry incomes. Land degradation is accelerated through increased cutting and use of firewood, used for cooking in local households and sold to the urban centres. Providing access to modern and economic cooking technologies for rural households is therefore not only the target of the national energy policy but also a necessity for sustainable resource management.

ProCGRN efforts in reforestation gain greater impact, when the pressure on fire wood demand decreases through the use of improved stoves. So far, no other project or programme in northern Benin is working in this field. The first improved cooking stoves (ICS) were introduced by ProCGRN between 2000 and 2003.

During the first phase of Energising Development support for increased access to modern cooking energy in Benin between 09/2005 and 06/2007 additionally 37,000 people were provided with improved cooking technologies. After the establishment of supply and demand structures, further scaling up of household energy provision is planned to enhance the positive experiences of the first phase.