Paper presented 

COMMERCIALIZATION OF IMPORVED BIOMASS COOKSTOVE IN THE PHILIPPINES

Abstract

    In southeast Asian region, over one billion are totally dependent on biomass for cooking and this situation will continue for the foreseeable future. It is generally theorized that excessive fuelwood consumption and inefficient wood conversion cause rapid forest denudation if such problems are not given due attention. Health wise, traditional cookstoves are becoming unpopular because of low heat utilization efficiency (HUE) and trigger indoor air pollution causing a lot of diseases. To avert such problems, a development activity was conducted by the MMSU ANEC to design, promote and commercialize biomass improved cookstoves (ICS) in northwest Philippines and elsewhere. Specifically, it aimed to improve the kitchen, promote healthy living condition of households and reduce greenhouse gases as a millennium development goal. Such activity was in partnership between and among the Philippine Department of Energy, APPROTECH Asia and Asia Regional Cookstove Programme, as well as the local government units and households. These new ICS are made up of clay, rice hull ash and sand mixtures. They burn less fuelwood per cooking (50% savings on fuels), produce less smoke (low CO emission), cook faster, have high efficiency (about 30 to 40% HUE) and cook conveniently.  Improved-design modified cookstoves include the inverted cone charcoal-fed and the two-burner fuelwood types. Such ICS were being commercialized by MMSU ANEC through their trained potters in the Ilocos. Such cookstoves has a patent registry at the Intellectual Property Office, Manila. The use of biomass ICS instead of fossil fuel will not only result to reductions in the emissions but savings in terms of reduced cost were generated.  Hence, the use of ICS should be encouraged. Having obtained abatement cost values provided a concrete measure for assessing the potentials of biomass energy technologies in reducing hazardous emissions. Such information is useful for comparing different technologies and will help guide policy makers to decide on which technologies should be promoted for further development and deployment. The major strategies in the commercialization employed are: improved-design modification of ICS using design principles; technical and economic viability; potters’ training in strategic areas; monitoring and evaluation of households using ICS; conduct of cooking demonstration, ICS olympiads, media promotion, as well as making brochures and flyers about ICS; involving women on healthful-kitchen improvements. Experiences in the design improvements, field testing among households and commercialization are also presented.

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