Project : Alternatives2Charcoal: Clean Cooking 4 All Pilot
Client:Tandem, funded by USAID Alternatives to Charcoal Activity
Date: November 2022 – July 2024
The Problem
The Clean Cooking for All pilot aimed to transition 1,150 urban households from charcoal to LPG, in an effort to reduce Zambia’s deforestation rate and promote cleaner cooking fuels amongst its low-income population.
The Solution
In partnership with Tandem Circular Consulting, Rubis, Kukula, and PayGas South Africa, Agova helped implement a pilot programme that included sensitisation and behaviour change campaigns, practical cooking demos, last-mile distribution services, and flexible hire-purchase options for LPG cook stoves and gas canisters. The initiative targeted low-income urban communities in Zambia to encourage the adoption of LPG as a primary cooking fuel.
Results
By the end of the 18-month pilot, key outcomes included:
- A significant reduction in electricity use for cooking, from 52% to 33%.
- A rise in LPG use as a primary cooking fuel, from 18% to 35%.
- 94% of households reported using gas as their main or backup cooking fuel.
- A reduction in charcoal consumption, from 48% to 30%.
Additionally, the project established Zambia’s first LPG automated micro-refilling station at PHI Mall in Mtendere, acquiring 1,700 customers in under 6 months, completing over 4,000 refill transactions, and distributing 21 tons of LPG. This success has set the stage for scaling the initiative and expanding LPG adoption across Zambia.
