The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), heavily reliant on biomass for cooking, is embarking on an ambitious journey to embrace clean cooking technologies. With over 95% of households still using solid fuels, the government's Energy Compact targets a 30% adoption rate by 2030, benefiting 40 million people.

To achieve this, the DRC government intends to launch a national clean cooking strategy by the end of 2025. This strategy aims to foster the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), improved cookstoves, and electric cooking. Only 14% of the population of Kinshasa, the capital, currency use LPG, around 250,000 households. The authorities aim to increase this to 1.2 million households by 2030.

However, significant obstacles stand in the way. These include a lack of storage and distribution infrastructure, limited availability of gas cylinders, and high LPG costs, trading at around $5 per kilo—meanwhile, a 40 kg bag of charcoal costs around $26.

The government is banking on private sector involvement to surmount these challenges. Incentives, such as duty exemptions on clean cooking equipment and establishing a regulatory framework conducive to investment, are under consideration to structure a viable market.

With a population exceeding 100 million and a clean cooking technology adoption rate of just 1%, the DRC has one of the lowest penetration levels globally, despite the widespread use of biomass for cooking posing significant environmental and health risks. It heightens the country's ecological vulnerability, while indoor air pollution causes respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, particularly affecting women and children. Official figures estimate the economic costs of this pollution at $13.6 billion annually, with lost productivity from firewood collection adding another $16.1 billion.

Olivier de Souza, Ecofin Agency