The African Development Bank’s Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) has approved a $4 million reimbursable grant to help phase out charcoal use in Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia through the Burn Electric Cooking Expansion Program (BEEP).
BEEP, led by Kenyan clean cookstove manufacturer Burn, will deploy 115,000 ECOA electric induction cookers to low-income, grid-connected households that currently rely on charcoal. The program uses a novel financing model that blends carbon-backed subsidies with pay-as-you-go plans, cutting upfront costs for end-users.
Funded by a $5 million senior loan from Spark+ Africa Fund, SEFA’s $4 million grant, and $1 million in equity from Burn, the program’s Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will handle distribution, servicing, and carbon credit sales. Carbon revenues will help sustain operations while keeping appliances affordable.
“This marks the Bank’s first carbon finance transaction of its kind, helping de-risk carbon markets and make clean cooking viable for low-income families,” said Dr. Daniel Schroth, AfDB’s Director for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency.
Burn CEO Peter Scott called the initiative “a milestone in demonstrating that electric cooking can be clean, affordable, and scalable,” noting its IoT-enabled stoves and mobile payment models.
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Beyond health and environmental gains, BEEP is expected to boost job creation and strengthen local supply chains, supporting SEFA’s push for energy efficiency and the AfDB’s Mission 300 initiative for universal, low-carbon energy access.
