Comparative Assessment of Gasifier Cookstove Performance on Smallholder Farms in Three Regions in Kenya

James Kinyua Gitau, Cecilia Sundberg (), Ruth Mendum and Mary Njenga
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James Kinyua Gitau: Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), Nairobi P.O. Box 30677-00100, Kenya
Cecilia Sundberg: Department of Energy and Technology, The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
Ruth Mendum: Office of International Programs, College of Agricultural Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, 106 Agricultural Administration Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Mary Njenga: Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), Nairobi P.O. Box 30677-00100, Kenya

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 13, 1-17

Abstract: A majority of households in sub-Saharan Africa use inefficient biomass stoves in poorly ventilated kitchens, leading to indoor air pollution. Biomass for cooking can be sustainably sourced from agricultural residues such as prunings from agroforestry. This study assessed biochar-producing gasifier cookstove performance among 150 households in Embu, Kwale, and Siaya Counties through household surveys and participatory cooking tests with 75 households. With the gasifier, carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations were lower in Embu (5.1 ppm), while carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) were lower in Kwale, at 588 ppm and 136 μg/m 3 , respectively. Compared to the three-stone open fire, reductions in CO and PM 2.5 concentrations were highest in Embu, at 82% and 97%, respectively. The biomass-to-char conversion efficiency with the gasifier was 17–18%. If households consider the produced char as a soil amendment, they could save 24–43% of fuel compared to the three-stone open fire; if the char is seen as fuel, the potential savings are 42–65%. Significant differences between the three sites were observed with the gasifier for gross and net fuel use, and for concentrations of PM 2.5 and CO 2 . Gasifier uptake can reduce the need for fuel collection and indoor air pollution, with a positive impact on both the environment and human wellbeing.

Keywords: biochar; charcoal; cooking energy use efficiency; firewood; biochar producing gasifier cookstove; indoor air pollution (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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