The Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) and EDFI Management Company, through the Electrification Financing Initiative (ElectriFI), have jointly invested €4 million to significantly enhance the operations of Emerging Cooking Solutions (Supamoto) in Zambia.
Supamoto offers a clean cooking solution that utilizes biomass pellets and features internet-of-things (IoT) enabled, fuel-efficient stoves. These stoves are designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while making use of local waste products. This investment, facilitated through InfraCo, PIDG’s project development arm, marks one of the initial investments PIDG has made in Africa’s clean cooking sector.
Mattias Ohlson, CEO of the Emerging Cooking Solutions Group, stated;
Over a decade ago, we recognized that waste biomass pellets and micro-gasification stoves would play a crucial role in the energy transition. We were among the first to highlight pellets as the clean fuel with the greatest potential to compete with charcoal in terms of price and performance—key factors for widespread adoption. Initially, we were a lone voice with much to prove, but we have now demonstrated a perfect product-market fit, offering significant savings to end-users while maintaining strong profit margins on fuel. We’re thrilled that this investment, combined with our proprietary IoT platform, high-performing internet-connected stoves, and our upcoming Article 6.2 carbon credit program in partnership with the Zambian government, will enable our rapid growth. The moment we’ve been working towards has finally arrived.
The investment will allow Supamoto to substantially increase pellet production at its facility located in Ndola, within Zambia’s Copperbelt region. Additionally, it will facilitate the expansion of the company’s logistics and distribution infrastructure to meet the rising demand for its products. The funding will also finance the production of 14,800 new fuel-efficient cookstoves, which are expected to provide cost and time savings for approximately 74,000 individuals.
Gilles Vaes, PIDG’s chief investment and project development officer for InfraCo, remarked;
Access to clean cooking is a key driver for improvements in human and planetary health, as well as the prevention of environmental degradation. We are proud to collaborate with our colleagues at EDFI Management Company to support Supamoto’s ambitions in Zambia to further this goal. Access to clean cooking disproportionately benefits women; however, there are significant data gaps on this issue in Zambia. By enhancing our understanding of how women benefit from this project, we aim to address some of those data gaps. Additionally, by supporting Supamoto in growing its workforce four-fold over the next five years, our investment promotes sustainable economic growth in Zambia.
Rodrigo Madrazo, CEO of EDFI Management Company, added;
At EDFI Management Company, we are dedicated to supporting innovative solutions that tackle both energy access and climate change. Our investment in Supamoto aligns perfectly with this mission. By scaling up clean cooking solutions in Zambia, we are contributing to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and improving the lives of thousands of families. This project exemplifies how smart, sustainable technologies can create positive impacts at both the household and global levels. We’re excited to partner with PIDG and Supamoto in this endeavor, which we believe will serve as a model for clean cooking initiatives across Africa.
