Clean Cooking Solutions

Silver cook pot on a stove

By Alexey Ruban on Unsplash

Clean Cooking Solutions
To reduce usage of Fossil Fuels such as Coal or Biomass such as Wood
SectorMost major industry classification systems use sources of revenue as their basis for classifying companies into specific sectors, subsectors and industries. In order to group like companies based on their sustainability-related risks and opportunities, SASB created the Sustainable Industry Classification System® (SICS®) and the classification of sectors, subsectors and industries in the SDG Investor Platform is based on SICS.
Renewable Resources and Alternative Energy
Alternative Energy
Business Model Description

Promote replacement of traditional firewood stoves with improved cookstoves (including electric rice cookers) or with the use of LPG (green char-briquettes or biogas from a biogester system), and sell induction technology.

ATEC Bio-digesters International (ATEC), founded in 2015, manufactures and distributes bio-digesters. It combines manure or kitchen waste with water to produce fertilizer and gas for cooking. They also provide induction technology to save cost and increase health safety, through pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) solutions, on instalment payment basis for as low as USD 5 per month.

In addition, they have patented their IoT capability which allows them to work with a hybrid revenue model by collecting and selling carbon credits. They have raised total USD 2.3 mn, including USD 1.6 mn in Series B from ENGIE Rassembleurs d'Energies Flexible FCPE in 2019. Other investors include, Phitrust Asia, Clean Cooking Alliance, Foundation Ensemble, IIX Growth Fund. (7)

Khmer Green Charcoal Co. (KGC), founded in 2008, has developed a clean cooking fuel from coconut-shell char and wood-char residues, to provide a sustainable alternative to wood-charcoal consumption. With advanced technology, KGC offers a more energy efficient solution than wood or traditional charcoal, allowing substantial savings for its users. It has supplied its Green Charcoal to >6,500 users.

In 2014, KGC received USD 0.3 mn grant from the Spark Fund of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves with the aim to double its production capacity to >100 tonnes/month, and help KGC build a new warehouse for raw materials. Uberis Capital invested USD 0.8 mn in KGC to double its production between 2015 and 2017.(1)

ACE Energy Solutions (Cambodia) Co. Ltd. (ACE), incorporated in 2016, is a wholly owned subsidiary of African Clean Energy BV with its head office in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Since 2020, ACE has been manufacturing solar-hybrid cook-stoves in Siem Reap, based on efficient pyrolysis of solid fuel which helps reduce users’ fuel consumption. The process can achieve ISO19867 tier 4 efficiency with various fuels. ACE also produces fuel pellets made from sugarcane and bamboo waste to improve the user experience further and encourage the adoption of new technology. The target market is predominantly rural families with inferior access to affordable, clean, and safe thermal energy needs

Expected Impact

Provision of clean cooking solutions to reduce air pollution, and improve the quality of work conditions for cooking staff, women and children.

Indicative ReturnDescribes the rate of growth an investment is expected to generate within the IOA. The indicative return is identified for the IOA by establishing its Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Return of Investment (ROI) or Gross Profit Margin (GPM).
15% - 20% (in IRR)
Investment TimeframeDescribes the time period in which the IOA will pay-back the invested resources. The estimate is based on asset expected lifetime as the IOA will start generating accumulated positive cash-flows.
Medium Term (5–10 years)
Market SizeDescribes the value of potential addressable market of the IOA. The market size is identified for the IOA by establishing the value in USD, identifying the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) or providing a numeric unit critical to the IOA.
< USD 50 million
Average Ticket Size (USD)Describes the USD amount for a typical investment required in the IOA.
USD 500,000 - USD 1 million
Direct ImpactDescribes the primary SDG(s) the IOA addresses.
Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7) Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11) Climate Action (SDG 13)
Indirect ImpactDescribes the secondary SDG(s) the IOA addresses.
Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12) Good health and well-being (SDG 3)
Sector Sources
  • (1) Ashden. (2014). Ashden Winners. https://ashden.org/winners/sustainable-green-fuel-enterprise/ (2) Hyman, J. (2018). Assessment of the Cambodian National Biodigester Program. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0973082618302588 (3) Hean, S. (2021). Cambodia's Mismatch of Solar Potential and Energy Harvesting. https://earthjournalism.net/stories/cambodias-mismatch-of-solar-potential-and-energy-harvesting (4) Carruthers, M. (2021). Green Charcoal Could Curb Deforestation. https://nowthisnews.com/earth/green-charcoal-could-curb-deforestation (5) Curruthers, M. (2021). Cleaning Up Cambodia's Kichens Could Curb Deforestation, Climate Changeg. https://news.mongabay.com/2021/06/cleaning-up-cambodias-kitchens-could-curb-deforestation-climate-change/#:~:text=About%2014%2C000%20Cambodians%20die%20annually,15%2C000%20die%20from%20smoking%20tobacco. (6) National Biodigester Programme. (2020). http://nbp.org.kh/
IOA Sources
  • (7) ATEC. (2019). ATEC Biodigesters secures US$1.6M Series B with support from the Clean Cooking Alliance and Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) to scale clean energy access in Asia. https://iixglobal.com/tag/atec/ (8) The Private Financing Advisory Network. (2022). ATEC Biodigestation International Cambodia. https://pfan.net/projects_and_stories/atec-biodigesters-international-cambodia/ (9) Royal Government of Cambodia. (2018). Cambodian Sustainable Development Goals (CSDGs) Framework (2016-2030). https://data.opendevelopmentmekong.net/dataset/3aacd312-3b1e-429c-ac1e-33b90949607d/resource/d340c835-e705-40a4-8fb3-66f957670072/download/csdg_framework_2016-2030_english_last_final-1.pdf (10) DFDL. (2012). Legal and Regulatory Updates in Cambodia. https://www.dfdl.com/resources/legal-and-tax-updates/legal-regulatory-updates-in-cambodia-8/ (11) Royal Government of Cambodia. (2021). Law on Investment of the Kingdom of Cambodia. https://www.cambodiainvestment.gov.kh/en/law-on-investment-2021.html