ENGINEERING
Eco-friendly cooking for Ethiopia
DESIGN FOR QUAYTON
THE ASSIGNMENT
Sustainable stoves, lasting impact
Quayton approached us with a mission: to develop a scalable, locally producible cooking stove for the Ethiopian market.
The goal was to provide an affordable, environmentally friendly way of cooking, significantly reducing harmful emissions like fine particles and carbon monoxide. We needed to create a solution that would not only improve the health of users but also upgrade the sustainability of fuel sources, driving both social and environmental impact.
THE CHALLENGE
Locally crafted affordable innovation
After an initial prototype of a super-efficient stove, we faced the challenge of designing a scalable solution that could be locally produced. We conducted extensive research on the local context, usage patterns, and available techniques. Key considerations included the stove's useful life, its energy output, and ensuring ergonomic design. All while keeping costs low and maximising performance. The objective was to make cooking both healthier and more sustainable.
THE RESULT
Cleaner, greener cooking
The final design is a highly efficient cooking stove, specifically tailored to the needs of the Ethiopian market. This stove ensures super-efficient combustion, achieving a remarkable 95% reduction in air pollution compared to traditional cooking methods, and 90% fuel savings over conventional stoves. By minimising harmful emissions such as particulate matter and carbon monoxide, it contributes significantly to both environmental and public health improvement.
Additionally, we collaborated with local manufacturers to establish a production line, benefiting the local economy while also reducing environmental impact. By using a special fuel sourced from waste streams in the coffee and wood industries, a sustainable, closed resource cycle has been created. After use, the activated carbon from the fuel can even be repurposed for air purifiers, further boosting its environmental benefits.
By cooking on this stove daily, up to 4 tonnes of CO2 can be saved annually, contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable future.
