Nepal Electric Cooking Outreach (ECO) National Workshop: Session recordings and highlights

By Dr. Richard Sieff (independent research consultant, MECS).

MECS Electric Cooking Outreach (ECO) National Workshop

• Tuesday 12th April, 2022; Time 8.30am to 4.30pm
• Venue: Kathmandu Marriott Hotel, Naxal, Nepal.

The workshop presented the findings from the four ECO Challenge fund electric cooking (eCooking) pilot studies in Nepal: the first large-scale, evidence-based research on electric cooking in Nepal.

The workshop informed policymakers and investors of the clear opportunities for scaling eCooking in Nepal based on the ECO research findings. Representatives from key stakeholder groups in the Nepali electricity and clean cooking sectors attended, including from Government (National Planning Commission (NPC), Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), and Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), development agencies, the private sector, academia, media.

Workshop summary and key highlights

The central message of the pilot studies was clearly articulated by ECO awardees: Winrock International, Practical Action Consulting, People, Energy & Environment Development Association (PEEDA) and Integrated Research & Action for Development (IRADe). Namely, the significant and sustained consumer demand for eCooking in all project locations and the clear opportunities to expand uptake through a combination of targeted interventions and policy.

Strong supporting statements for eCooking were received from key government agencies, AEPC and NPC. APEC Executive Director, Dr. Madhusudan Adhikari, stressed the transition to eCooking was “a must, we have challenges, but we must change our cooking”, while Hon’ble Member of NPC, Prof. Dr Surendra Labh Karna thanked the workshop organisers and said NPC would accommodate the workshop suggestions and experiences in national energy policy.

Other workshop highlights included the launch of PEEDA’s Nepal eCookbook, which provides a full guide to using electric stoves and the opportunities for transitioning to eCooking in Nepal, and the first showing of Winrock International’s documentary: Cooking at Ease: Efficient Electric Cooking Market Uptake in Nepal. In the final session, MECS Nepal country link researcher, Richard Sieff, presented the jigsaw concept at the heart of the MECS country theory of change to scale up.

Video Recording and PowerPoint links

First Session

Video recording

• Introduction: Programme and workshop objectives and launch of Nepal eCookbook developed and published by PEEDA (Mohan Das Manandhar (Niti Foundation)).

• Presentation 1: MECS Electric Cooking Outreach (ECO) in Nepal research overview: Key findings from all four projects (Nepali) (Pooja Sharma, Practical Action Consulting (PAC)).

• Presentation 2: Practical Action Consulting: Factors affecting the adoption of electric cooking devices in a community-based rural electrification entity (CREE). (Nepali/English) (Pooja Sharma (PAC) & Dr. Ashma Vaidya, Ajummmery Bikas Foundation).

• Remarks from special guest, Executive Director of APEC, Dr. Madhusudan Adhikari (Nepali).
• Presentation 3: Winrock International: Efficient electric cooking market uptake in Nepal: eCooking in low-income communities (English) (Govinda Khanal, Winrock International).

Second Session

Recording

• Presentation 4: IRADe: Electric Pressure Cooker adoption in urban and rural socio-economic and cultural contexts (English) (Ashutosh Sharma (IRADe) & Srijana Poudel (Women’s Awareness Centre Nepal)).

• Presentation 5: PEEDA: Understanding the suitability of electric pressure cookers in grid and off-grid households (English) (Biraj Gautam (PEEDA)).

• Presentation 6: MECS: MECS global experiences (English) (Dr. Richard Sieff, MECS).

• Q&A session for the MECS Nepal research projects (Nepali/English).
• Remarks from special guests: Hon’ble Member of NPC, Prof. Dr Surendra Labh Karna and Ram Chandra Dahal, Chairperson of Mahankal Rural Municipality of Lalitpur District (Nepali).

Third Session

Recording

• Parallel group discussions on key themes impacting scale up of eCooking in Nepal. Themes: after sales services: promoting ecooking; reaching the last mile; product standards; supply side infrastructure; and coordinating stakeholder activities (not included in video link).

• Panel discussion: reflections from the group discussions. Chaired by Karuna Bajracharya (Clean Cooking Alliance). Panellists: Binod Prasad Shrestha (GIZ/REEEP), Sher Singh Bhat (Nepal Energy Foundation and former Deputy Managing Director at NEA), Indira Shakya (Consultant), Yamendra Gurung (Prizma).
• Closing remarks and plans going forward, including presentation of the MECS Nepal country ‘jigsaw’ to scale up. Richard Sieff (MECS).

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Featured image, top: The workshop drew an audience from a range of stakeholders working in the clean cooking and electrification sector in Nepal. (image credit: PEEDA, 2022).