The Aprovecho Research Centre has assisted the Programme for Biomass Energy Conservation in Southern Africa (ProBEC) in designing biomass stoves for institutional cooking in Lesotho, Malawi, Uganda, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia. Over 1,500 institutional stoves have been produced and sold by entrepreneurs.Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world. There is a huge problem of deforestation, partly as a result of the high population density and also because large areas of land are taken up with cash crops such as tobacco and tea, which also use enormous amounts of wood for processing. Fuelwood and charcoal are the main fuels for cooking both in homes and institutions in rural areas.In each country ProBEC has involved entrepreneurs in training workshops, where a woodstove of suitable efficiency for each country is developed and engineered with the assistance of an Aprovecho Research Consultant. The stoves are targeted at large institutions, such as schools, prisons and tea-estate kitchens, and use the Aprovecho 'Rocket' combustion approach to give high combustion efficiency and efficient heat transfer to the cooking pot. Practical experience suggests that using the stove saves at least 50% of fuelwood, sometimes more, which can give significant financial savings. The reduction in carbon monoxide and particulates provides a much healthier environment for institutional cooks. Stove production businesses are now well established in Malawi, Uganda and Lesotho, and have produced and sold more than 1,500 institutional stoves. Ken Chilewe, the main producer in Malawi, has made 700 of these.

The design of the stove is innovative in its own right, while the project provides expertise, training to producers, research support, monitoring and help with marketing. In addition to the work on institutional stoves, it is developing efficient domestic stoves, looking at ways of reducing industrial uses of fuelwood (such as for tobacco drying), and working with central and local governments on biomass conservation.

Individuals benefit affordable and safe food, society benefits reduced health risks in terms of food and air quality, the economy benefits increased local economic activity and the environment benefits improved air quality and those related to climate change.

Aprovecho is an NGO established in 1981 in the USA. One of its members, Larry Winiarski, invented the 'Rocket Stove' concept, which its consultants now use to assist organisations throughout the world. It also runs training programmes in sustainable technologies. Aprovecho consultant Peter Scott is currently assisting ProBEC in their programme in Southern Africa. ProBEC is the leading organisation promoting improved cooking stoves in the Southern African region. It provides expertise, training to producers, research support, monitoring and help with marketing. In addition to the work on institutional stoves, it is developing efficient domestic stoves, looking at ways of reducing industrial uses of fuelwood (such as for tobacco drying), and working with central and local governments on biomass conservation.

The project will impact on the mainstreaming of clean energy issues as individuals benefit affordable and safe energy services, society benefits reduced health risks in terms of air quality, the economy benefits reduced costs of energy services and the environment benefits improved air quality and those related to climate change.

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By focussing on large institutions such as schools, prisons and tea-estate kitchens, the project creates a broad awareness of clean energy services in a number of public sector institutions and sets a benchmark.