The African Development Bank (AfDB) is spearheading efforts to curb charcoal reliance in Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia through a $4 million reimbursable grant from its Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA).
The funding supports the Burn Electric Cooking Expansion Program (BEEP), which will deploy 115,000 electric induction cookers to low-income, grid-connected households across the three countries.
The program, implemented by Kenya-based clean cookstove company BURN, aims to provide clean, affordable cooking solutions by prefinancing electric cookers and recouping costs via carbon credit sales in voluntary markets. The model combines carbon-backed subsidies with pay-as-you-go payment systems to reduce the financial burden on households.
“This marks the Bank’s first carbon finance transaction of its kind, with SEFA playing a critical role in mitigating carbon market risks and enhancing the Program’s financial sustainability,” said Dr. Daniel Schroth, Director for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at the AfDB.
The initiative is capitalized through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) backed by a $5 million senior loan from the Spark+ Africa Fund, the $4 million SEFA grant, and $1 million in equity from BURN Manufacturing. The SPV will oversee sales, distribution, and servicing of the Internet-of-Things-enabled stoves, which will generate carbon credits to be shared among investors.
Peter Scott, Founder and CEO of BURN, said the investment would accelerate the rollout of clean cooking technology across the region. “We are honoured to receive this catalytic investment from the African Development Bank’s Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa, their first-ever investment in carbon projects focused on electric cooking,” he said.
“By integrating cutting-edge technology, carbon financing, and mobile-enabled Pay-As-You-Cook models, we are demonstrating that electric cooking can be clean, affordable, and scalable across the continent.”
The program aligns with SEFA’s Energy Efficiency strategy and the Bank’s New Deal on Energy for Africa, targeting universal access to sustainable energy. In addition to environmental benefits, BEEP is expected to drive job creation and support local supply chains, advancing the region’s transition away from carbon-intensive cooking fuels.
