Improved Cookstoves, Rwanda
Location
Rwanda
SDGs Certified
4
Solution Type
Energy Efficiency
Project Type
Carbon Avoidance
Fact File
🪵 Canarumwe stoves are made locally using clay pottery. These stoves reduce fuel consumption by improving combustion and heat transfer when compared to a traditional three stone fire.
👷🏾 Stoves are a point-source technology, monitored annually, with local mason network for repairs and replacement.
📊 Risk of increased wood use elsewhere is addressed by surveys and a conservative leakage discount factor of 0.95. There is no evidence of fuel-switching to higher-emitting devices outside the boundary.
Partnership &
Certification
About this Project
The Problem
Before the project began, households in Kayonza, Bugesera, and Nyamasheke districts in Rwanda primarily relied on traditional three stone fires and inefficient charcoal stoves for cooking. These methods required large amounts of firewood, contributing to deforestation and environmental degradation. The inefficient combustion of biomass also resulted in high GHG emissions.
Cooking on open fires produces heavy indoor smoke, leading to respiratory and eye health problems, particularly for women and children. In addition, collecting firewood is time-consuming and physically demanding, limiting opportunities for education and income-generating activities.
The Solution
The project distributes fuel-efficient “Canarumwe” single-pot cookstoves to households in the targeted districts. Carbon credits are generated through the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during cooking.
These stoves significantly reduce the amount of firewood or charcoal needed for cooking, lowering pressure on local forests and leading to measurable reductions in GHG emissions. Improved combustion also reduces smoke emissions, leading to better indoor air quality and improved household health.
By decreasing fuel needs, households also spend less time collecting firewood, freeing time for productive and social activities.
Project Location
SDG Contributions
