Biomass-based Improved Cookstoves (ICS):
Recently, amid the LPG supply crisis, the relevance of modern biomass-based Improved Cookstoves (ICS) has come into focus, especially as many rural households shift back to firewood, raising concerns about cleaner cooking alternatives.
- Improved Cookstoves (ICS) are advanced biomass stoves designed to improve combustion efficiency and reduce emissions compared to traditional chulhas.
- ICS achieve 38–45% efficiency, significantly higher than traditional chulhas, which, due to poor airflow and substantial heat loss, operate at around 10% efficiency.
- Technologies like secondary aeration in ICS help capture soot and harmful gases before they turn into smoke, improving indoor air quality.
- ICS can reduce firewood consumption by over 50–66%, lowering resource pressure.
- Firewood (≈₹10/kg) is much cheaper than LPG (>₹100/kg), offering potential savings of over 60%, especially during supply disruptions.
- ICS can use pellets, briquettes, crop residue and dung, expanding fuel options and reducing pressure on raw firewood.
- Emission reductions can generate carbon credits, helping subsidise costs through microfinance and CSR initiatives.
- Large-scale adoption does not require massive centralized infrastructure, as fuels like firewood and crop waste are locally available.
- However, scaling depends on strong distribution networks, last-mile delivery, local partnerships, and user awareness. After-sales support is essential for sustained usage.
