ATMs dispensing Clean, Affordable, Cooking Fuel – Kenya
With the Scottish COP26 UN Climate Change Conference coming up next month, it is the small scale on the ground projects that will help people change their lifestyles in the fight against climate chanage. One problem is how to tackle the growing demand for charcoal and to find a way for people to cook safely in their homes using environmentally friendly bio-fuels instead.
In Kenya, one company is now using ATMs (vending machines) to dispense affordable bioethanol to their customers in Nairobi. Designed and built by KOKO Networks, these ATMs are being installed inside local shops to provide fuel in small quantities for daily cooking. This is providing a solution to a widespread problem in African cities – how to get clean fuel for cooking into homes safely and affordably.
The machines, which resemble ATMs, dispense bioethanol – this is a sustainable by-product of their local sugar industry. So far, KOKO has installed 700 bio-fuel ATMS in the capital, providing clean cooking fuel to 170,000 users in Nairobi. They are preparing to expand across the rest of Kenya from next year.
Zambia’s cooking fuel market, like many African countries, is dominated by charcoal and paraffin. Both of these are expensive and more seriously, emit toxic fumes and soot harming people’s health. In Kenya, almost 300 people die every week from household pollution. The growing need for charcoal in our cities is also leading to mass deforestation, decimating our ancient forests.
So this innovative way to dispense eco-friendly, affordable fuel, is both tackling the problems of household pollution, helping to save lives, and also assisting in the fight against deforestation and climate change.
Do you have a local project that is also tacking climate change? If so, let us know, and we will feature it on our blog.