ProBEC's rocket stove wins award in 2006 ProBEC’s successful pioneering work with the development of and dissemination of the ‘rocket’ stove has earned it the United Kingdom's prestigious Ashden Awards in 2006.

The lifespan of the stoves is around three years (with maintenance) and the current production capacity of 1,000 stoves per year seems sufficient, leading ProBEC to conclude that sustainable supply sounds possible.

The first big orders of 120 stoves (brokered by ProBEC in July 2004 in the trade fair) helped to establish the product and production without the involvement of commercial banks. The 'champion' Ken Steel Engineering in Mulanje has had an estimated turnover of over US$200,000 from the stove and pot production (approximately 70 percent of his business). As a result, the business has expanded from two to 28 employees and has built up enough of a capital base to provide for an order of 500 stoves within two months.

Market research conducted in 2003 had showed a potential market of 600 institutions. Since 2004, over 2,200 rocket stoves have been sold, and a new market for the stoves has opened in school feeding programmes with a scope of reaching approximately 4,500 primary schools in Malawi.

ProBEC has also decided to target rural areas for the mainstreaming of efficient stoves whereby ProBEC trains the producers of stoves while local NGOs ensure that standards are maintained.

For more information, visit: http://www.ashdenawards.org/