MECS 2023 Nepal Dissemination Workshop

MECS has organised a workshop on 7th April 2023 in Kathmandu to present the findings and updates from 18 MECS Nepal projects in eight key areas (see below) targeting scale up of electric cooking (eCooking). Based on the research findings, the workshop aims to inform policymakers, investors, and other key stakeholders of the clear opportunities and potential challenges for scaling up eCooking in Nepal.

1. Assessing the long-term impact of the Electric Cooking Outreach (ECO) pilot studies.
2. In-depth exploration of the implications of households cooking entirely with electricity.
3. Cooking Support on Mini-Grids (COSMO) challenge fund.
4. Sparking the Cooking Supply Chain challenge fund.
5. Unlocking the potential for enterprise level electric cooking in Nepal.
6. A study on repair and end of life – electric cooking and domestic appliances.
7. Developing non-technical policy guidance on standards for electrical cooking appliances.
8. The impact of appliance subsidies and local repair services on a sustainable eCooking ecosystem in Nepal.

These research areas were identified in 2022 through consultations with key stakeholders in Nepal as part of the MECS ‘jigsaw research’– a research process used to identify the missing pieces which need to be in place to enable scaled eCooking uptake. To continue this process of collaboration, a further workshop aims to draw together ideas for practical interventions to improve information sharing and coordination in the eCooking sector going forward.

Participants include representatives from key stakeholder groups in the Nepali electricity and clean cooking sectors, including the Government, Nepal Electricity Authority, Alternative Energy Promotion Centre, development agencies, private sectors, academia, media, and other sectoral experts.

Featured infographic: ‘MECS Country Jigsaw to Scale Up‘. Courtesy of MECS & Gamos.