Abstract

Access to clean, affordable and sustainable energy is one of the greatest challenges that people in Malawi currently face. Inefficient combustion of charcoal emits high levels of pollutants hence the need to explore clean cooking fuels such as ethanol briquettes. The study assesses the technical performance, social-cultural aspects and the economic cost of using ethanol fuel. Water boiling tests, controlled cooking tests, emissions tests, cooking diaries, focus group discussions, market assessments and household surveys were conducted. Results of ethanol briquettes calorimetry showed 37.4 Mj/kg and 36.1 Mj/kg while charcoal had 23.79 Mj/kg and 22.47 Mj/kg for high and low heating values. Boiling 1 L of water was faster in Chitetezo Mbaula because ethanol briquettes contributed to high stove firepower. The controlled cooking tests showed no significant differences in the time taken to cook a meal in all the stoves and fuel combinations. However, the specific fuel consumptions and the rate of emissions were significant at 95% confidence level. The release of carbon monoxide and particulate matter from ethanol briquettes were below the World Health Organization benchmarks of 0.07 g/min and 0.15 mg/min, respectively. The cost of cooking a meal using ethanol briquettes is fairly low when the fuel is estimated at MK760/Kg as compared to charcoal. The study established that households preferred using multiple fuels than completely shifting to a new technology. The adoption of ethanol briquettes correlates at different strengths to technical, social-cultural and economic factors. The predictor variables in multiple regression positively influence adoption (R=.397) by 15.8%. The study recommends the establishment of vibrant policies and operation procedures aimed at regulating production, accessibility and market price of ethanol briquettes to encourage widespread adoption and sustained use.

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School	: School of Natural and Applied Sciences
Issued Date	: 2022

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