Tanzania Case Study- Improved Woodfuel Saving Technologies
The Second Tanzania Case Study was on the Improved Woodfuel Saving Stoves, which
was executed through three phases from 1992 to 2004 by Tanzania Traditional Energy
Development and Environment Organization (TaTEDO).
The background of TaTEDO’s efforts on improved charcoal stoves and ovens in
Tanzania can be traced back to the year 1992, two years after the establishment of the
organisation. In the year 1992, TaTEDO carried out modification of improved charcoal
stove designs adapted from the Energy 1 Project that was implemented by the Ministry
of Energy and Minerals from 1998 to 1992.
One of the outputs of the adaptive research of TaTEDO was the development of
charcoal ovens for baking and roasting. TaTEDO, in order to promote these
technologies, conducted training for artisans on how to produce improved charcoal
stoves and for women on how to bake using TaTEDO improved charcoal ovens.
Training activities coupled with awareness creation campaigns created and increased
demand for improved charcoal stoves and ovens in Dar es Salaam. This development
created opportunities for self employment and income earning for artisans on production
of stoves and for women on small scale baking businesses and savings on charcoal
expenditure in various households and institutions such as hotels, bars, etc. To
strengthen the capacity of providing training services, TaTEDO established workshops
at Vingnguti (Sahara Agroup), TaTEDO main office in Kijitonyama and the other
workshop for producing ceramic parts of the same products from clay soil was
established at its field station (now adays called SEDI) at Goba.
Development of Improved Charcoal Stoves and Ovens
Positive response coupled with encouraging high acceptability of the developed
improved charcoal stoves and ovens from users encouraged TaTEDO to expand training
and awareness activities to Kilimanjaro, Coast, Shinyanga and Mwanza regions. In
parallel with training activities, TaTEDO in collaboration with users also managed to
carry out various adaptive research activities to further improve improved woodfuel
saving stoves. Through adaptive research activities, improved charcoal stoves and
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ovens were modified and adopted to suit the requirements of communities in the
respective regions. This was made possible with generous financial support from
HIVOS, EU and NORAD under the four-year (1999 – 2005) project on Integrated
Renewable Energy Development and Environment Conservation in Tanzania. TaTEDO
has managed to develop a total of 12 prototypes of stoves and 6 types of ovens.
All
these stoves and ovens have passed through different processes of development
depending upon the requirements of users and technical specifications considered
appropriate.
The thermal efficiency of these stoves and ovens compared to the
traditional ones has been raised from 15 percent of the traditional charcoal stoves to
between 30 and 40 percent. This implies that improved stoves can save consumption of
charcoal by 40 to 50 percent compared to traditional charcoal stoves.
Large Scale Production and Commercialization of Improved Stoves and Ovens
In the year 1998 with support from UNDP/GEF, TaTEDO conducted a study on factors,
which were hindering wide scale adoption of improved stoves in Dar es Salaam. The
study revealed that the demand of improved stoves had increased from 4,000 improved
stoves per month in 1994 to 7,000 improved stoves per month in 1998, but the trained
artisans in Dar es Salaam were able to meet only half of the estimated demand. More
than 40 percent of the estimated demand originated from other regions, which are not
covered by TaTEDO activities. The current supply of improved stoves in Dar es Salaam
is estimated to be at 13,000 improved stoves per month and is still growing.
The
existence of high demand and low capital base created enabling environment for
increased production of low quality stoves in the market.
To address the problem of quality control and low commercialisation of improved stoves
in the market and capital base improvement, TaTEDO introduced element of business
and market development for improved woodfuel saving technologies (stoves and ovens )
to scale up commercialisation efforts through development of entrepreneurship. The
energy entrepreneurship development intends to revamp commercial viability of
improved
charcoal
stoves
and
ovens
business
and
provide
challenges
to
artisans/distributors producing/selling inferior stoves in the market. Commercial viability
of the business is expected to attract financial institutions and credit support-providing
organisation to extend credit and loan assistance schemes to small-scale entrepreneurs
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involved in such businesses. The objective of this business was to produce and sell in
large scale improved woodfuel saving technologies such as charcoal stoves, charcoal
ovens, firewood stoves, firewood ovens, biowaste stoves, etc.
Assessment of the Case Study
The impact study was carried out in different stove production groups (workshops),
households and business enterprises, which benefited from TaTEDO initiatives.
The
visits to the stove production groups and conductance of the questionnaire gave the
opportunity to observe the production and to gather data about the bottlenecks straight
from the producers for analysis.
The following methods were used to collect data for this study.

Secondary data consultation, to understand the issues and topics within the stove
projects, to understand the role and activities of TaTEDO and to understand the
bottlenecks and opportunities of Micro and Small Scale business enterprises.

Field observations: Visits of producers to see the production processes and
situations in the areas of production.

Non-scheduled structured interviews, to get the answer straight for the producers.

Meetings with TaTEDO staff, to get background information about different topics in
the improved woodfuel saving stoves.
The data collection tools and methods used to conduct this study include structured
questionnaire, interviews, meetings which gathered information on trends of group
production, supply, market, use in the households, schools and business enterprises,
saving of wood fuels, type of stove preferred, etc.
Interviews were conducted with stove business vendors (groups, stove outlets, etc)
users (households, restaurants, baking groups, school cooks etc), social centres (health
centres, schools, recreational places, etc). Interviews collected information, which is
related to energy savings, health improvements, employments, income generation,
revenues, etc.
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There was random sampling of households but the exercise sampled both household
using charcoal stoves in the city and ones using firewood stoves at the outskirts of the
city. The sampling also considered different income levels. There were a limited choice
of stove production groups, therefore all groups were visited to get information about
their performance.
Sources of Information

Data from reports of former studies within the Improved charcoal stoves industry in
Tanzania in order to find out what kind of problems and relations are commonly
found within the informal stove production industry and what kind of solutions are
recommended, or are implemented in other regions.

Data and reports of activities strongly related to the production of improved charcoal
stoves and ovens.

To understand the informal sector and get ideas on how this sector is organized.
Knowledge of improved stoves sector available within TaTEDO and to get more
information on the causes and effects of the bottlenecks in the stove production
industry and get ideas for solution development and Knowledge about production
processes and production management.

Data of the current situation, obtained through the non-scheduled structured
interview in order to make an appropriate questionnaire on production and
management, and to describe the structure of the businesses.

While this type of interview is conducted, the answers to the questions came straight
from the producers in different stove production groups.
It also created to
opportunity to visit the groups or workshops and observe the production processes.
All these interviews and other data collection methods focused mostly on outcomes and
impact of improved woodfuel saving stoves and ovens to the target population.
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Assessment Framework
Input
Raw Materials (clay liners, metal
sheets, etc), infrastructure and
expertise, artisans
Activities
Capacity building, adaptive
research, market development,
production and sales
Employment
Output
Energy
Services
Sectors
Outcome
Effects
Impact
Clay
Liners
Cooking
Households
Woodfuel
saving
Forest
conservation
Environnent
Conservation
MDG7)
Woodfuel saving
stoves and ovens
Baking
Roasting
Businesses
Social (Health and
Education)
Natural
resources
Time
Saving
Reduced indoor
air pollution
Money
saving
Reduced
women
drudgery
Gender
equality
(MDG3)
Reduced
respiratory
diseases
the kitchen
Health
Improvement
(MDG 4, 5, 6)
Income
generation
Poverty Reduction
(MDG1)
The Causal Chain for Improved Woodfuel Saving Technologies in Tanzania
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The Result of the Case Study
During the study, it was observed that some households are still using open three stone
stoves with low thermal efficiency of 7-10 percent. In the urban areas, some households
are using metal charcoal stoves with low thermal efficiency of between 10-15 percent on
average are widely used for cooking. All such low efficient stoves are commonly used in
social centres (schools, dispensary, prisons, etc) and in small and medium enterprises
(beer brewing, bread baking, food vending, etc). Only 45 percent of the households in
Dar es Salaam are using improved woodfuel saving stoves and in the countryside, only 20
percent of households have adopted improved woodfuel saving stoves and ovens. The
performance of intervention on improved woodfuel saving stoves can be assessed in
terms of income generation and employment, monetary saving, time saving, forest
conservation and health improvements.
i.
Income generation and Employment
Production of improved woodfuel saving stoves has been one way of generating
income and employment for trained artisans, village technicians and women and it is a
business, which was appreciated and adopted by them. On the other hand, more than
600 small entrepreneurs have engaged in the production and selling of efficient
woodfuel stoves.
To energy related SMEs (food vending, beer brewing, baking, meat roasting, etc), use of
improved fuelwood saving technologies decreased the energy input costs by 45% and
move towards:
 Increased overall profitability, which means more income is earned to the
entrepreneurs;
 Increased viability of the enterprise and subsequent more employment opportunities.
ii. Monetary Savings
Due to their high efficiencies, improved fuelwood saving technologies consume less
wood simultaneously generating enough heat, and thus less money will be spent in
purchasing woodfuels. Energy efficiency in SMEs is also desirable for financial reasons.
Financial reasons focus on the profitability and potential growth of the enterprise through
funds saved from efficient stoves.
Furthermore, the monetary savings by using an improved charcoal stove can be divided
in two parts, first the investment savings and second the fuel savings.
Traditional charcoal stove has a lifetime of half a year; the stove has to be replaced 6
times during the lifetime of improved charcoal stove. The average price of a bag of
charcoal is around Tshs. 20,000 and contains normally 30kg charcoal. Annual amount of
charcoal used by a household with traditional charcoal stoves is 1080 kg (36 bags) a
year. The amount is significantly lower for households using improved charcoal stoves,
which is 370 kg (12.4 bags) a year. Annual fuel cost savings will be about Tshs. 118,000 per
household.
iii. Time Savings
Women and children are the main suppliers of firewood accounting to 60% and 23%
respectively; men account to 13% and house-keepers 4%. The average time and walking
distance for fetching and transporting firewood in many areas is hours and 6 Kilometres
respectively. This shows that household members, particularly women, invest a
considerable amount of time and energy in searching firewood. This intervention has
reduced time needed for cooking and fetching firewood by 45%. Time saving will be
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achieved through an increased heat capacity of the stoves and thus the increased
efficiency. The time gained can be spent for other family productive and social activities.
iv. Forest Conservation
The introducing improved woodfuel saving stoves and ovens has reduced quantity of
woodfuel used in household, social centres and SMEs. A household using three stones
stove consumes around 2880 kg/year of firewood. According to this study, through the
use of improved firewood stove consumption is around 1728 kg/year/household, annual
saving is around 1152kg/household (equivalent to more than 20 trees/year). Further,
annual fuel consumption for traditional charcoal stove is around 1080kg/household while
for improved charcoal stove is around 370kg/year/household (annual charcoal saving is
10kg/household which is equivalent to around 60 trees). It was observed that a
household using improved charcoal stove would save about 71 bags of charcoal in
three years (which is equivalent to over 1800 trees).
v. Health Improvements
A better burning process in improved stoves reduces the emission of smoke and
associated toxic gases (e.g. Carbon monoxide, Hydrocarbons, Nitrous Oxides, Sulphur
Oxides, etc). Due to low emission of harmful gases and heat through the wall, the stoves
provide better health conditions to users and reduce the risk of burning. Another benefit
of the improved insulation is reduction of undesired space heating in the kitchens. The
quality air in the kitchen and households to make more people use more improved
woodfuel saving technologies (stoves and ovens) thereby less exposure to indoor
pollution and consequently reduced respiratory diseases.
vi. Gender Equality Improvements
Women are responsible for collection of woodfuels in rural and peri-urban areas.
Although, some can be bought form the vendors but this is responsibility of women and
children. The collection and use of fuel-wood are related with heavy and often lowproductive time-consuming work. For instance, the average time and walking distance
for fetching and transporting firewood in many areas is 4 hours and 6 kilometres per day
respectively. This shows most of women’s time is spent in searching firewood. Further
more, women are exposed to health hazards from smoke and carbon dioxide and other
poisonous gases, generated by using inferior stoves. Therefore, adoption of woodfuel
saving stoves has minimized the frequencies of collecting woodfuels by less than 2 times
per week. These stoves have also reduced the hazards of in-door air pollution by
reducing smoke in the kitchens.
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Summary of Development Impacts and the Link with MDGs for the Improved Woodfuel Saving Stoves in Tanzania
Intervention
Technology
Sectors
IREDEC
Improved
woodfuel
saving
technologies
(stoves and
ovens)
Households
Proposed link to
MDGs in casual link
given as impact
Improved gender
equality (MDG3)
Improved health
(MDG 4 and 5)
Business
Health
(social
sector)
Education
(social
sector)
Substantiation
Remarks
Reduced drudgery of women
firewood collection in peri-urban
areas.
Reduce respiratory diseases
4-5 hours per day of
firewood collection at
average distance of 6 km
Reduced respiratory
diseases incidences in the
households
Reduced emissions of
smoke and associated
toxic gases
Time saved is used in both
economic and social
activities
Cutting household health
costs
Improved
household and
kitchen
environment
(MDG7)
Poverty reduction
(MDG1)
Reduced indoor air pollution
Household monetary saving
Annual household fuel
cost saving of Tshs 118,00
(around USD 100)
The saved amount is very
high for a poor family
living below the poverty
line of USD 1 per day
Employment and
Poverty reduction
(MDG1)
Improved gender
equality (MDG3)
Income generation
Income from sales of
stoves and
baked/roasted foodstuffs
Both men and women
doing business together
using woodfuel saving
ovens
Capital and
entrepreneurial skills are
still required.
Men will help women in
their businesses due to
smoke free or tolerable
places
Improved health
(MDG 4and 5)
Reduced cases of respiratory
diseases
Reduced respiratory
diseases incidences in the
medical records
Reduced Women and
children mortality
Poverty reduction
(MDG1)
Cutting budgets for buying
firewood and charcoal for school
cooking
Reduced amount of woodfuels
used in schools and frequency of
collecting woodfuels by pupils
Fuel expenditure reduced
by 45 %
Time saved used for
studying and partly for
other chores
Good kitchen
environment for school
cooks
Forest conservation due to
reduced frequency of tree cutting
Reduced rate of tree
cutting by 1800 per
household for three years
Environment
conservation
(MDG7)
Natural
Resources
Case study findings and link to
MDGs
Environment
conservation
(MDG7)
Improved kitchen environment in
the restaurants and pubs
Saving charcoal bags
from 36 to 12.4 per year
Men can even stay in the
kitchen and discuss family
issues with their wives
The cumulative effect of
all households using
stoves gives a good
number of tree saved.
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