Dave Lello

December 5, 2017

Innovation: FAABulous biomass portable stove

 

Description: The micro-gasifier stove burns biomass efficiently with the help of an electrically-driven fan. It costs less to run than other cooking methods and reduces smoke and carbon monoxide fumes normally linked with burning biomass by over 90%.

 

The problem: More than 600 million people in Africa still cook on fire every day because they do not have and/or cannot afford electricity. Smoke from these fires causes many deaths, ailments and problems for children.

 

The story so far:

 

Challenges

Pellets are not freely available in South Africa. Ekasi has adapted its business focus to include the manufacturing of fuel, to solve this issue. The business plan includes empowering local communities to identify waste resources and to convert bio-waste into an affordable cooking/heating fuel.

This challenge of not having a locally produced affordable bio-fuel has turned into an opportunity!

 

Opportunity

Pellets retail for over 20X the value of bio-waste (such as Saw Dust) and the conversion of waste to fuel offers a sustainable local value chain that meets triple bottom line objectives:

 

What’s next?

Ekasi Energy dual product offering is to offer both mini pellet manufacturing plants as well as gasifier stoves creates a sustainable business model. The fuel revenue exceeds stove revenue by over eight times, crating a much larger market.

We are planning our 1st pilot pellet plant in Wellington outside Cape Town and will be working with the local community to use alien tree vegetation which threatens water security as the raw bio-waste input.

 

GCIP and Cleantech

Over the last 2 years, I had to pivot and change the business model 3 times. While this has cost time, it has saved many thousands of rands on potentially flawed business models.

The process of defining and validating a business model before drawing up a business plan is essential for a start-up business with limited financial resources. The business toolkit provide during GCIP has provided me the basis to quickly determine what the target market pains, needs and ultimate opportunities can provide and how to avoid costly mistakes by pivoting timeously.

Share to: