[Rwanda] BBOXX unveils new digital initiative to help tackle global clean cooking crisis

BBOXX has unveiled a new initiative which marks a major stride towards tackling the global clean cooking crisis and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. BBOXX Cook provides clean cooking services for both urban and rural areas through LPG and biogas solutions.
As a next generation utility, BBOXX is the first company to combine pay-as-you-go solar energy services with pay-as-you-go cooking solutions.
BBOXX Cook is first being introduced in Rwanda as a pilot market, expanding its reach to urban customers.
The vast majority of Sub-Saharan Africa, approximately 86 per cent, live without clean fuels and technologies for cooking, while four million deaths are caused each year due to indoor air pollution from cooking with inefficient, polluting and harmful fuels2. As Sub-Saharan Africa’s population continues to grow3 this is projected to worsen.
Mansoor Hamayun, CEO and Co-founder, BBOXX, said: “The BBOXX Cook initiative in Rwanda is an exciting step for us as a next generation utility. We are showing that our model works: the technology that we have used to provide access to clean, reliable and affordable electricity is being expanded to include clean cooking solutions and we have big ambitions to deliver other utilities and products in new markets.”
“Three billion people worldwide lack access to clean cooking solutions. We are steadfast in our mission to use technology to transform lives and unlock potential and BBOXX Cook is fundamental to helping to meet UN Sustainable Development Goals. We are looking forward to working with additional partners to scale up and deliver on our mission.”
BBOXX has already received funding for this initiative from the Energy and Environment Partnership (EEP), a multi-donor fund providing grant and catalytic financing to innovative clean energy projects, technologies and businesses.
It will enable wider access to clean cooking through pay-as-you-go technology using mobile money. It is removing unaffordable upfront costs for customers – a major barrier preventing clean cooking solutions from taking off. Historically LPG cooking solutions have incurred upfront equipment costs of $80 to $100, while biogas solutions can cost households over $600.
BBOXX Cook uses BBOXX’s IoT (Internet of Things) expertise to build remotely connected pay-as-you-cook gas meter technology – set to provide clean cooking as a service on a large scale. The clean cooking solutions operate via BBOXX Pulse™, its digital platform that enables the management of customer payments, financial products, technicians and employees, all across remote locations.
www.bboxx.co.uk