Vitol and partners launch clean cookstove pilot project
Vitol and its partners the Ghana National Petroleum (GNPC), Eni and the World Bank have launched a clean cookstove pilot project designed to reduce the environmental and health impact of cooking with woodfuels by introducing new, efficient cookstoves.
Over 13,000 people from 10 communities across the Ellembelle District are expected to benefit from the project.
Advertisement
Representatives from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Ministry of Energy, GNPC, Petroleum Commission, Energy Commission, the Ghana Alliance for Clean Cooking and traditional authorities graced the launching ceremony on Thursday.
The Country Manager of Vitol Upstream Ghana Limited, Mr Jonathan Norton said: “Vitol is pleased to support any initiative that reduces household air pollution.”
He said statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that household air pollution causes 14,000 premature deaths a year in Ghana alone, and 3.8 million worldwide, with young children and women most at risk.
He said with the new stoves, there will be economic benefits to households as fuel costs would be reduced and the burden of buying and collecting fuel will also reduce.
“Recognizing the benefits of clean cooking, Vitol and its Foundation have supported clean cookstove initiatives for well over a decade,” he noted.
The first phase of the Project will focus on raising awareness, identifying and testing models of domestic improved woodfuel cookstoves and appropriate distribution mechanisms.
Based on the findings and recommendations of the assessment, a two-year project will be designed and implemented.
Improved woodfuel cookstoves are designed to reduce the volume of woodfuel required by up to 60 per cent and dramatically lower smoke and toxic emissions associated with traditional open fires.
The project is part of the community and livelihoods portfolio of works undertaken by the partners in the development of the OCTP / Sankofa project.
To date over 200 households have benefited under the Livelihood Restoration Programme from the training and resources needed to set up commercial enterprises such as livestock production, aquaculture, food processing, trading and vocational skills, hairdressing or carpentry.
The broader local development plan will result in initiatives focused on education, water and sanitation, improving access to energy services and economic diversification.
Vitol is an energy and commodities company; its primary business is the trading and distribution of energy products globally – it trades over seven million barrels per day of crude oil and products and, at any time, has 250 ships transporting its cargoes.
