- Nefco and Sweden have launched a new clean cooking facility in Africa.
- The facility aims to provide 1.5 to 3 million people with access to clean cooking solutions.
Nefco and Sweden, through the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), have launched a new facility to support the development and scaling of clean cooking technologies in Africa. The facility will have an initial funding of SEK 275 million (about €27.8 million) provided by the Swedish government. The Modern Cooking Facility for Africa (MCFA) will employ results-based financing to support clean and affordable energy access and help to develop new markets for clean cooking in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia.
The MCFA aims to provide 1.5 to 3 million people on the continent with access to clean cooking solutions that will positively impact the environment, health by reducing CO2 emissions and pollution and mitigating deforestation leading to accelerated economic growth. Carin Jämtin, Director General at Sida. noted that the initiative will help reduce the use of wood and charcoal, a significant contributor to greenhouse emissions and deforestation. “For women and girls, in particular, who spend a large number of their daily hours in smoky kitchens, it will reduce respiratory problems…” Jämtin added.
Trond Moe, Managing Director at Nefco, noted that the organisation is pleased to work with the Swedish government to support the private sector of these African countries in clean energy access provision. “The scale-up of clean cooking solutions will have a significant positive impact on the environment. The result-based financing approach will ensure that it is economically viable for underserved people in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Moe added.
Facility manager Nefco aims to increase the MCFA into a €40 million facility which will complement the ‘Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa’ another initiative that supports clean and affordable electricity access in Sub-Saharan Africa. The MCFA plans to launch its first Call of Proposals-based funding round during the first half of 2022. Selected and contracted Cooking Service Providers will receive support based on milestones reached.