Efficient cookstoves are emerging as the biggest single opportunity to cut emissions from Rwanda's energy sector, with the technology expected to account for a quarter of the sector's total emissions reduction potential.
The stoves are projected to help cut about 1.56 million metric tonnes of emissions, out of the 6.24 million tonnes the country is targeting from the energy sector, as it steps up efforts to reduce dependence on firewood, charcoal and other biomass fuels.
Jean-Pierre Nizeyimana, a green economy specialist at the Ministry of Environment, said cookstoves alone account for 25 percent of the sector's mitigation potential, making clean cooking a central part of the country's climate action efforts.
ALSO READ: Use of electric, LPG, ethanol stoves projected to increase 25%
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He was presenting details of Rwanda's Mitigation Contribution plan during a national dialogue organised by Transparency International Rwanda (TI-Rwanda) on the effective integration and implementation of the third version of Rwanda's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) into district development strategies.
Nizeyimana said cookstoves, electric vehicles and emissions standards collectively account for close to 70 percent of the energy sector's mitigation potential, highlighting the importance of cleaner household energy and transport.
The push comes as the country seeks to rapidly expand the use of efficient and clean cooking technologies. Improved cookstoves, which consume less wood, charcoal and other biomass fuels, are expected to increase their share from 9 percent to 22 percent by 2029.
The number of households using clean and efficient stoves is also projected to rise from just over one million to about three million during the same period.
The shift is expected to reduce pressure on forests while cutting household air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Also: Inside major projects set to reduce reliance on wood fuel in Rwanda
There has already been progress. Firewood use has declined from 83 percent to 76 percent, partly following the distribution of 1.4 million improved cookstoves. By 2022, about 34 percent of households were using improved cookstoves.
More efficient stoves
At the sixth Renewable Energy for Sustainable Growth (RE4SG) 2026 event, hosted by Energy Private Developers (EPD) in partnership with the Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA), 10 innovations aimed at reducing emissions in the energy sector were exhibited.
Among them were improved cookstoves developed by Ecogreen Solutions Ltd, a company that designs, manufactures and distributes efficient stoves and sustainable biomass pellets.
Jean-Damascène Murwanashyaka, the company's production manager, said it produces two main types of stoves--one that uses firewood and another that uses pellets.
The pellet model, known as a forced-air stove, uses a small fan powered by a battery or solar energy to push air into the combustion chamber, improving combustion and reducing fuel wastage.
Its performance is measured through thermal efficiency, which shows how much of the fuel's energy is converted into usable heat for cooking.
Murwanashyaka said the pellet stove achieves about 41 percent thermal efficiency, significantly higher than traditional three-stone fires and basic charcoal stoves, which typically achieve only 10 to 20 percent.
"We have various cookstoves. The first uses pellets and is highly efficient, converting about 41 percent of the fuel's energy into usable heat. The second uses ordinary firewood but is still far better than traditional stoves, reaching an efficiency of 41 to 43.2 percent," he said.
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The higher efficiency means less fuel is needed to prepare the same meal, while reducing smoke and harmful emissions.
The pellet stove is rated Tier 4 under international cookstove standards and can use roughly half to a third of the fuel required by a traditional stove.
The pellets are made from wood waste and rice husks, offering an alternative use for agricultural and wood-processing waste.
"The stove can be connected to solar power or electricity to improve its efficiency. The package includes a radio, torch and lamp, all charged using the same solar kit as the stove," Murwanashyaka said.
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Clean cooking targets
Under the country's climate 2035 action plan, the target is to have 2,449,000 rural households using improved wood or biomass stoves meeting Tier 3 and Tier 4 standards.
In urban areas, 1,209,000 households are expected to move away from biomass altogether and adopt clean, non-wood cooking technologies, including electricity, LPG and ethanol stoves.
The targets are intended to ease pressure on forests while improving household air quality and reducing emissions.
Also read: Govt subsidizes clean cooking technologies to safeguard forests
Speaking during the national celebration of the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies on Friday, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment Fidèle Bingwa said achieving cleaner air would require collective action.
"Having clean air is a shared goal. The conversation should now be about how we achieve it, through collective action, stronger partnerships and practical solutions that improve air quality and protect people's health," he said.
