Capacity Building Workshop in Production and Distribution of Improved Stoves and Cooking Fuel

BAMAKO, 30-MAY-2016- The capacity building workshop in production and distribution of improved stoves and cooking fuel opened today in Bamako, Mali with an inaugural session chaired by the top Adviser to the Minister of Energy and Water of Mali, M. Tezana Coulibaly. The Coordinator of the West African Alliance for Clean Cooking (WACCA) and representative for the occasion of the ECOWAS Centre of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) Executive Director, Mr. Siré. A. Diallo, the Director of Energy of Mali, Mr. Ismaïl Touré and the General Director of the Agency of Renewable Energies (AER) of Mali, Dr. Souleymane Berthé was also at the high-table of the opening ceremony. This workshop is the result of a partnership between the ECREEE and AER aiming to strengthen capacities of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Dr. Berthé, Director General of the AER in his welcome speech thanked ECREEE for choosing Mali as the host of this workshop. He magnified all the support provided by the AER for the success of the event such as infrastructure, including the campus facilities, workshop and laboratory for stove tests. He also pointed out the availability and professionalism of the Katene Kadji, the company, which will lead the practical sessions on production of cook stoves and CIMAC Consulting for the marketing and selling sessions.

The representative of the ECREEE stressed the importance to convene all actors working in the field of clean cooking energy sector for advancing the WACCA agenda. “Mali recorded a loss of 400,000 hectares of forest a year. This deforestation in turn accentuates the effects of climate change.  For a country, which aspires to emergence, it is essential to put the problem of the lack of access to clean cooking energy services at the forefront of development agenda.  Beyond the environmental aspect, Mr. Siré. A. Diallo also underlined the health consequences with more 4 million deaths recorded worldwide, according to the WHO and 250,000 precocious deaths at the ECOWAS level. He finished with highlighting the support of the Government of Mali through AER and partners such as the Ministry of Environment of Austria and GIZ.

Mr. Coulibaliy, Advisor of the Minister stated that this Workshop is of great importance for Mali and West Africa to fight against climate change, combat deforestation and improve the health of households in the region. "Widespread adoption of cook stoves is very important. Therefore the Government of Mali has for objective the gradual replacement of traditional cook stoves, that are not efficient and cause serious problems to peoples’ health and the environment”, concluded the Adviser. He then opened the Workshop.

The purpose of this Workshop, which takes place from 30 May to 3 June 2016, is to contribute to the ECOWAS Bioenergy Program and to the implementation of the Regional Action Plan of the West African Alliance for Clean Cooking. In parallel, an exhibition of cook stove and fuels took place to showcase the clean cooking technologies of each participating country. The exhibitors discussed with the participants who enjoyed the plethora of cook stoves and modern fuels exposed.

The component on capacity-building of stoves and fuels production is being held at the Katene Kadji workshop, where around thirty manufacturers of domestic and institutional cook stoves, as well as briquettes are being trained by Mr. Ousmane Sory Samassekou, who has over 30 years of experience and he will be one of the main facilitators.

For the training in marketing and distribution techniques, the firm CIMAC Consulting will work with the participants for two days. The main trainers, Mr. Ousmane Sarr and Mr. Dramane Coulibaly.

The WACCACamp is a weeklong of intensive training workshop, which covers all aspects of the clean cooking solutions value-chain in a systematic way. The themes are based on the needs of the targeted participants. This edition of the Camp in Mali follows the first WACCACamp held Ghana in 2015, and it is dedicated to francophone entrepreneurs in the ECOWAS. The workshop focuses on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the NGOs involved in the production and dissemination of cooking solutions (stoves and fuels). Through this workshop, WACCA and AER hope to bring solutions to two major obstacles with regards to the adoption of the energy solutions for cooking: production and distribution.

CONTEXT

At the ECOWAS regional level, the majority of households (approximately 80%) still use traditional biomass as main fuel for cooking. In several countries in the region, fuels from biomass (wood and charcoal) represent more than 90% of the energy needs of households particularly in rural and periurban areas. As a result, a large part of the natural forests are being depleted, which leads to deforestation, one of the main factors of climate change. In addition, women who are in charge of cooking activities and their young children are exposed to high levels of indoor pollution caused by toxic fumes. According to the WHO, this pollution within households is responsible for over 4 million premature deaths per year worldwide, including approximately 250,000 in West Africa.

It is in this regard, the Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency of ECOWAS (ECREEE) and its partners launched the West African Alliance for Clean Cooking (WACCA) in October 2012. WACCA aims to provide solutions for clean, safe and affordable energy cooking for all the population of ECOWAS by 2030, in a straight line with the overall ECREEE objective to facilitate the access to renewable energy and promote energy efficiency.