Kathmandu: 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.
In the program, Anita Shah Dhungana, member of National Planning Commission (NPC), pledged to incorporate the promotion of electric cooking in the upcoming 16th periodic plan of the country.
Bhagirathi Gyawali, member of Electricity Regulatory Commission, highlighted the need of introducing more directives to promote electric cooking in the country.
Nabaraj Dhakal, executive director of Alternative Energy Promotion Center, reiterated the need for coordinated initiatives to realize the country’s goal with regard to electric cooking. “In order 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 cook stoves at the community level,” he said.
Acknowledging the role of different stakeholders in the area of promotion of electric cookstoves, Puja Sharma, national director of Practical Action said, “Coordination and support from all stakeholders are very crucial to achieve the desired success in 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) program 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’ being implemented by the consortium.
The project aimed at developing a sustainable market system of e-cooking solutions with an increased adoption rate by households and MSMEs with a target to disseminate about 10,000 efficient electric cooking appliances in three provinces–Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini–covering 10 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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