The Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), managed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), is addressing the reliance on charcoal for cooking in Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia through a $4 million reimbursable grant. This funding supports the Burn Electric Cooking Expansion Program (BEEP), which will distribute 115,000 electric induction cookers to low-income households connected to the power grid but still dependent on charcoal. The initiative aims to provide cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable cooking alternatives.
The BEEP program is being implemented by Burn, a Kenyan clean cookstove company active in over 10 African countries. The program uses an innovative financing model that combines carbon-backed subsidies with pay-as-you-go plans to make the induction cookers affordable. The cost of the appliances is recovered through the sale of carbon credits on the voluntary carbon market, significantly reducing upfront costs for end users.
To support the initiative, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) has been created, capitalized by a $5 million senior loan from the Spark+ Africa Fund, SEFA’s $4 million grant, and $1 million in equity from Burn Manufacturing. The SPV will work in partnership with Burn to handle sales, distribution, and servicing of the cookers. The carbon credits generated from the appliances will be owned by the SPV, with revenue shared among the financial contributors.
The program supports SEFA’s broader goals under its Energy Efficiency focus area by driving private investment in efficient appliances and helping scale up clean cooking technologies. It also contributes to the African Development Bank’s Mission 300 Initiative and the New Deal on Energy for Africa, both of which aim to expand access to sustainable, low-carbon energy solutions. Beyond environmental and health improvements, the program is expected to create jobs and strengthen local supply chains, contributing to long-term economic and social development in the targeted countries.
