Market activation of electric cooking in Nepal

By Practical Action in Nepal.

A national sharing workshop on ‘Market Activation of Electric Cooking in Nepal’ was held in Kathmandu on 29 June 2023.

The workshop was aimed at sharing the achievements and learning of the project in the context of Nepal’s commitment to achieving universal access to clean cooking by 2030. Representatives from the government authorities, private organisations, line agencies, community organisations, communities, and practitioners in the sector participated in the event. The opportunity was also utilised to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the sector of electric cooking in Nepal.

In the programme, Anita Shah Dhungana, an honourable member of the National Planning Commission (NPC), pledged to incorporate the promotion of electric cooking in the upcoming 16th periodic plan of the country.

Likewise, Bhagirathi Gyawali, a member of the Electricity Regulatory Commission, highlighted the need of introducing more directives to promote electric cooking in the country.

Nabaraj Dhakal, executive director of the Alternative Energy Promotion Center, reiterated the need for coordinated initiatives to realise the country’s goal concerning electric cooking. “To promote electric cooking culture and increase acceptance of electric cookstoves, we need to work on multiple fronts including reform of existing policy, formulation of standard procedure and creation of a conducive environment to enhance acceptance of electric cookstoves at the community level,” he said.

Acknowledging the role of different stakeholders in the promotion of electric cookstoves, Pooja Sharma, the country director of Practical Action in Nepal said, “Coordination and support from all stakeholders are very crucial to achieve the desired success in the promotion of electric cookstoves.”

Practical Action has partnered with the National Association of Community Electricity Uses Nepal (NACEUN) to strengthen the capacity of its members, Community Rural Electrification Entities (CREEs) to provide better services to support the growth of productive uses of electricity and electric cooking in rural areas.

GIZ Energizing Development (EnDev) programme has been supporting access to modern energy by helping to grow and strengthen local markets at scale through the project ‘Market activation of electric cooking in Nepal’ implemented by the consortium.

The project aimed at developing a sustainable market system of electric cooking solutions with an increased adoption rate by households and Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs). It targeted to disseminate about 10,000 efficient electric cooking appliances in three provinces – Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini – covering ten districts throughout the project period from July 2021 to June 2023. The project worked with 48 last-mile distributors and 38 CREEs.

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Featured image: The workshop was attended by a wide range of stakeholders from government, non-government, and private sector organisations working in the Nepal eCooking and electricity sector (image credit: Practical Action in Nepal, 2023).