Malawi Living Lab

The main economic activity in Waliranji community is agriculture. Land cultivation requires extensive land clearing. This has led to massive depletion of natural forests reserves. Depletion of forests has been exacerbated by heavy reliance on charcoal and firewood as the main sources of cooking energy. The predominant cooking practices are cooking on three stone open fires. Firewood and other solid as plastics are placed between the stones. Smoke is produced and inhaled by those cooking. All these issues pose a threat to development of Malawi, environment, and health.

The MIG BioCooker, adapted to the selected region in Malawi, is a solar-biomass hybrid cooking device designed to combust biomass fuels more efficiently and cleaner than traditional open fires or rudimentary stoves. The BioCooker utilizes a variety of feedstock from biomass to provide heat for cooking and produces biochar as a byproduct. The efficiency of the MiG BioCooker plus its ability to combust any dry solid biomass fuel reduces the need for unsustainably harvested wood fuel.

The MiG BioCooker has a built-in fan that improves the combustion. The fan is driven by a power bank, which in turn has been charged by a solar panel. The power bank as well as the solar panel can be mounted permanently on the cooking stove for easier handling. The power bank can also be used to recharge a mobile phone or for lighting.

To increase the efficiency fuel briquettes can be used. Sunflower production in the area gives biomass residues that can be briquetted and used as fuel. A suitable briquetting technology has been identified and tested with sunflower stalks. The technology has capacity of 10-25 kg/h and produce cubic-shaped briquettes that are of good size for a cooking stove (30 × 30 x 30 mm).

SESA successfully adapted and validated the MIG BioCooker, an advanced clean cooking stove, for commercial implementation in Malawi. This initiative provides a sustainable and efficient cooking solution, directly addressing health issues from indoor air pollution and inefficient energy use.

• Advanced Stove Technology: The MIG BioCooker is an ISO-tested (Tier 4-5), biomass- based, fan-assisted clean cooking solution. It integrates a solar panel, which also powers a power bank for lighting (torches) and phone charging.
• Household Integration and Benefits: 20 MIG BioCooker stoves were assembled and distributed to 19 households for long-term validation. User feedback and continuous fine- tuning informed the stove’s design. This led to a 50% reduction in cooking time and an 80% reduction in CO and PM2.5 emissions, significantly improving indoor air quality and health. All participating households noted financial improvements, with 70% citing reduced fuel costs and 30% gaining more time for income-generating activities.

• Sustainable Briquette Production: SESA implemented briquetting and shredder technology to process locally available biomass residues, such as sunflower stalks and sawdust, into clean-burning briquettes. These briquettes, sized at 3cmx3cm, are suitable for cooking stoves.
• Farmer Engagement and Distribution Network: 90 farmer clubs delivered sunflower stalks for briquette production, establishing a localized raw material supply. Two employees
  are now working in briquette production, and 12 selling agents distribute the briquettes across villages surrounding the factory, serving 5-10 customers per seller per day. This has enabled 100 households to use briquettes monthly, successfully substituting traditional firewood and charcoal.

• Empowering Farmers with Solar Irrigation: In partnership with Smart Energy Enterprise (SEE), SESA provided affordable, loan-based solar pump solutions to smallholder farmers.
  25 solar-powered irrigation systems were deployed to 46 smallholder farmers through a lease-to-own business model, achieving an impressive 96% loan recovery rate. This intervention led to a 100% increase in agricultural production for participating farmers, significantly boosting their income. 46 smallholder farmers (60% male, 40% female) were trained in irrigation scheme management.
• Job Creation in Clean Cooking: 7 individuals (all male) were trained in the assembly and repair of the MIG BioCooker, establishing a local ground repair team and creating new job
  opportunities. The network of 12 selling agents for briquettes also represents additional income streams for local entrepreneurs.
• Widespread Capacity Building: Going Green conducted extensive trainings, reaching 5,000 farmers (3,703 females and 1,297 males) on clean cooking solutions, crop production, and
  post-harvest handling. This training model included 200 club leaders and traditional leaders who, after being trained, cascaded the knowledge by training an additional 25
  members each, ensuring widespread adoption and local ownership. 34 people (19 males, 19 females) from 19 households were trained on the operation and management of the MIG BioCooker.