Bio-Stove

The Bio-Stove is an affordable, efficient, and safe cooking solution that conveniently produces Biogas from household organic waste.

The Bio-Answer Initiative seeks to address deforestation in Zimbabwe caused by the high demand for firewood for cooking. This problem is of significant scale in the country, with Zimbabwe losing 330,000 hectares of forest every year, an area almost equal to Cape Verde. This is a considerable concern, as the remaining forest cover across Zimbabwe is 15 million hectares, which is significantly low. Cooking substantially contributes to this loss, consuming 11 million tons of firewood annually.

The problem is particularly severe in the suburb of Mbare, which is home to 140,000 households. The residents of Mbare have lost more than 80% of their forest cover due to their dependence on firewood for cooking. The reliance on firewood is driven by several factors, including low national electricity coverage at 29%. This leaves the rural communities solely dependent on firewood due to poor road networks for adopting cooking energy solutions such as LPG. Additionally, 18–22-hour daily electricity outages in electrified peri-urban-urban communities which depend on electricity as their primary cooking fuel due to fall in dam levels, obsolete equipment allowing the ZETDC, the national electricity body, to only produce about 600MW against the national demand of 2000MW of electricity. The high cost of LPG gas, with a US$50 monthly refilling price tag as an alternative in energy-stricken peri-urban communities, is also a factor.

The consequences of this problem are far-reaching, affecting not only the residents of Mbare but also the entire country. Rapid deforestation has led to a decline in rainfall, impacting agriculture, water availability, and the overall environment. The residents' dependence on firewood and charcoal contributes to air pollution, leading to health issues such as respiratory problems. Using plastics and cardboard for cooking poses health risks, including cancer, due to releasing harmful chemicals when these materials are burned. The government has been compelled by the destruction of forests to restrict and penalize the trading of charcoal and firewood in local markets, further causing an energy crisis. As a result, 40% of Mbare inhabitants are at risk of missing one of every three meals due to cooking energy shortages.

The Bio-Answer Initiative aims to provide a readily available, affordable cooking energy solution to the people of Mbare. In identifying a solution, we observed that Mbare is home to the biggest vegetable and fruit market in Zimbabwe, which generates 5 tonnes of waste per day. This is where the Bio-Stove comes in, an all-in-one kit that takes in as little as 3kg of organic waste and produces cooking gas, enabling 24/7 customer cooking energy autonomy.

Our solution aims to address the needs of 4 million Zimbabwean households in similar situations, like Alice, a vendor who is a single mother of three with a monthly income of $50. All she needs is an affordable, readily available, and efficient cooking solution that will allow her to cook for her children early in the morning before rushing to the market and cook late in the evening after work to earn her ample time to rest.

The Bio-Answer Initiative has developed a solution called the Bio-Stove, which aims to provide a readily available, affordable cooking energy solution to the people of Mbare and other communities in Zimbabwe facing similar issues. The Bio-Stove is an all-in-one kit that converts household waste into cooking energy.

The Bio-Stove works by using anaerobic digestion, a natural process that breaks down organic matter in the absence of oxygen. The waste is placed in a sealed chamber, where microorganisms break it down to produce biogas. The biogas produced by the Bio-Stove is composed mainly of methane and carbon dioxide and can be used as fuel for cooking.

The Bio-Stove kit includes a gas collection system, storage container, and a burner. The equipment is designed to be simple, with minimal maintenance. The waste is fed into the sealed chamber, where the anaerobic digestion begins. The produced biogas is then collected in a gas storage container and used for cooking using the burner provided.

The Bio-Stove is designed to be affordable, accessible, and safe. Unlike other cooking energy options, such as LPG, it is a sustainable solution that does not require a constant refill. The monthly costs that come with our Bio-Stove are only $6.00 for purchasing biocatalysts, making it a viable option for low-income households in Mbare.

In addition, the Bio-Stove also addresses the community's waste management problem. Converting household waste into cooking energy provides a sustainable solution for managing rampant deforestation in Zimbabwe.

The Bio-Stove solution serves the 140000 household residents of Mbare, a suburb in Zimbabwe, and other communities facing similar deforestation and energy insecurity issues. These communities are typically low-income households affected by the high demand for firewood for cooking, leading to a decline in forest cover and a shortage of cooking energy options.

The Bio-Stove solution will have a significant impact on the lives of these residents in several ways. Firstly, it will provide a readily available, affordable, and sustainable cooking energy option. This will alleviate the dependence on firewood and charcoal, which has contributed to deforestation and air pollution. It will also provide an alternative to expensive and unreliable options such as LPG and electricity.

Secondly, the Bio-Stove solution will improve the health and well-being of the residents. The use of firewood and charcoal for cooking has been linked to respiratory problems, and the use of plastics and cardboard for cooking poses health risks, including the risk of cancer, due to the release of harmful chemicals when these materials are burned. The Bio-Stove will eliminate these risks by providing a clean and safe cooking energy option.

Thirdly, the Bio-Stove solution will enable cooking energy autonomy and sustainability (SDG 7 and 13), allowing residents to cook 24/7. This will improve the residents' quality of life, particularly those who cannot afford expensive and unreliable energy options. It will also enable them to cook more nutritious meals, which is essential for their health and well-being.

Lastly, the Bio-Stove solution will help address the community's waste management problem. By converting household waste into cooking energy, it will reduce the amount of waste in the community, which will have a positive impact on the environment. It will also provide an economic opportunity for the community, as waste can be collected and sold to Bio-Stove users.

In summary, the Bio-Stove solution serves low-income households in Mbare and other communities facing similar deforestation and energy insecurity issues, providing them with a sustainable, affordable, and safe cooking energy option. It will improve their health and well-being, enable cooking energy autonomy and sustainability, and help address waste management in the community.

My team and I are well-positioned to deliver the Bio-stove solution because of our unique combination of skills, background, and experiences. Leeroy Magora, the team lead, is a Mechanical Engineering student and a Bio-Engineering researcher. He has a passion for sustainable solutions and has already founded the Bio-Answer Initiative, a startup that develops customized biogas kits for low-income households in Zimbabwe. Leeroy is also the recipient of the Jim Leech Fellowship on Entrepreneurship, which has provided him with the skills and knowledge to develop and scale his venture.

Matimba Mabonda, the team mentor, is a Master’s student in chemical engineering at the University of Capetown, and the founder of Mabunda Bio-fuels, a biogas startup in Limpopo, South Africa. He brings a wealth of experience in biogas production and has the technical knowledge to guide the team in the design and testing of the Bio-stove.

Nigel Takunda Kadonzvo, the workshop leader, is a Computer Engineering student and is very handy and passionate about building things. He will be responsible for leading the team in the construction and assembly of the Bio-stove.

Judercio Jose Nhauche, the market research lead, is a Management of Information Systems student and is passionate about sustainability. He will be responsible for conducting market research and identifying the needs of the target market.

Our team is representative of those we serve, as we are all students from low-income households from different African countries, and we understand the challenges faced by households in our communities. We have all had experiences of cooking with firewood and have seen firsthand the negative impact it has on the environment and people's health. Through our various experiences, we have developed a deep understanding of the problem we are trying to solve and have the passion and drive to make a difference in our communities.

As the founder of Bio-Answer Initiative, I have taken several steps to understand the needs of the population we want to serve. We have conducted market research to understand the current energy crisis in Zimbabwe, specifically in the Mbare suburb, and its impact on low-income households. We have also spoken with potential users, such as Alice, a vendor who is a single mother of three with a monthly income of $50, to understand their specific needs and challenges in terms of cooking energy.

In addition to market research, we have also volunteered and worked with existing organizations working on the problem of energy shortages in Zimbabwe. For example, I have worked with the Forestry Commission to understand the impact of cooking energy on the destruction of forests in Zimbabwe.

Furthermore, we have engaged potential users in the design and development of our solution. We have gathered feedback from users during the testing phase to ensure that our bio-stove meets their needs and is easy to use. This has helped us to make necessary adjustments to the design and user experience to ensure that our solution is tailored to the specific needs of the population we want to serve.

Our Bio-stove solution is innovative in several ways. Firstly, it addresses the problem of the cooking energy crisis in Zimbabwe by providing an affordable, readily available, and quick cooking energy solution using biogas, which is produced from household waste. This addresses the problem of firewood and charcoal shortage, which is a significant contributor to the loss of forest cover in the country.

Secondly, our solution is designed to be portable, so it can be easily transported and used in different areas, including rural communities, which are often left out of conventional cooking energy solutions.

Thirdly, our solution is designed to produce biogas on just 3kg of household waste, which is very efficient and sustainable.

Furthermore, our solution is catalytic, as it is expected to change the market and enable broader positive impacts from others in this space. By providing an affordable and sustainable cooking energy solution, we aim to reduce the demand for firewood and charcoal, which will help to conserve forests and reduce carbon emissions. Additionally, by providing cooking energy autonomy, we expect to minimize households prone to cooking 1 in 3 meals using plastics, which is harmful to the environment. Overall, our solution is designed to contribute to SDGs 7 and 13, which ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all and take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

Our impact goal for the next year is to have at least 500 households in Zimbabwe adopt our Bio-stove solution. To achieve this goal, we plan to launch a comprehensive marketing campaign targeting low-middle-income households in areas with high deforestation rates, such as Mbare. We will also engage with local NGOs and community leaders to raise awareness about our solution's benefits and provide training on its proper use. Additionally, we plan to offer financing options to make our solution more accessible to low-income households. By achieving this impact goal, we will significantly reduce the dependence on firewood for cooking and thus contribute to conserving forests in Zimbabwe.

Overall, we seek to:

1. Working prototype

2. Having supplied more than 20 kits by the end of July 2023

3. Having held more than five organic waste management campaigns in Mbare and neighboring suburbs.

4. Success registration of business as a non-profit and technology patenting.

Our Bio-stove solution utilizes biogas production's core technology, household waste, to generate cooking fuel. The process involves the breakdown of organic matter without oxygen, a process known as anaerobic digestion. This process is facilitated by a specially designed digester that optimizes the conditions for biogas production. The digester is designed to be portable, easy to use, and efficient, allowing for the production of five-plus cooking hours of biogas on just 3 kg of household waste. The technology also includes a gas storage system and a gas distribution system to ensure that the biogas produced can be used for cooking. This technology is innovative as it provides a sustainable and locally sourced alternative to traditional cooking fuels such as firewood and charcoal, which significantly contribute to the community's deforestation.

We are projecting to launch with a capacity of 500 households by 31 July 2023.

Several barriers currently exist that may limit our impact in the next year. One significant financial barrier is the cost of production and distribution of the Bio-stove. The materials and technology used in the Bio-stove are relatively expensive, and securing funding for mass production and distribution may prove challenging.

Another barrier is the local market's lack of technical expertise and resources. The Bio-stove technology is relatively new and may not be well understood by local manufacturers and distributors. This could lead to difficulty in scaling up production and distribution.

Legal barriers also exist in the form of a lack of regulation and standardization in the Biogas sector. This could make it difficult for us to navigate the legal requirements to commercialize our product.

Cultural barriers may also exist, as new technologies can be slow in specific communities. We may face resistance from local communities accustomed to traditional cooking methods.

Finally, market barriers exist in the form of competition from other Biogas companies. The Biogas market is becoming increasingly crowded, and it may be difficult for us to stand out and gain a significant market share.

Ashesi University Entrepreneurship Center has provided us with mentorship as well as initial financial assistance.

Our main product is the Bio-stove, a portable biogas kit that allows for easy and efficient production of biogas for cooking purposes, even without sunlight. We also provide services such as installation, maintenance, and repair of the Bio-stove to ensure it functions optimally for our customers. Our key customers are low-income households affected by the cooking energy crisis in developing countries. These households typically rely on firewood, charcoal, or other fossil fuels for cooking, which are expensive and negatively impact the environment. Our Bio-stove offers an alternative source of clean energy that is not only cost-effective but also helps to reduce deforestation and air pollution. The Bio-stove is also easy to use and maintain, making it accessible for people of all ages and backgrounds. Our customers are looking for a sustainable, affordable, and efficient cooking energy solution, and our Bio-stove delivers on all these fronts.

Our path to financial sustainability lies in a combination of sustained donations and grants, selling products and services, and service contracts with governments. We plan to raise money to fund our work by applying for grants from organizations and foundations supporting sustainable energy solutions. Additionally, we will be selling our bio-stoves to households and communities needing an efficient cooking solution. Furthermore, we will offer service contracts to governments and organizations looking to implement our bio-stove technology on a larger scale. In the long term, our goal is to have our revenue streams cover our expected expenses and allow for the scaling of our solution to reach more people in need. By diversifying our revenue streams, we aim to ensure financial sustainability for our bio-stove project's continued growth and impact.