Beside Rice husk stoves there are currently three other low cost biomass stove success stories.

The first is the bipanke or turbo stoves that many NGOs claim to have promoted by in the past. Our investigation is that thought there were several NGOs who had program none have proven their claims to be the champion of this technology. We surmise that with just very limited exposure from these several NGOs that it was the enterprising informal private sector (small local workshops) who should get most of the credit for popularizing these stoves.

Figure 1: Bipanke chulos being made at a workshop in Kalo Phul, Kathmandu

The technology is very simple where a small hallow metal stove with holes facing towards the burning chamber has various size computer fan (6 - 12 volt DC) blowing air in to the chamber and results in much cleaner and slightly hotter burning biomass such as fuel wood or charcoal. It can be powered from simple and cheap transformers where there is electric service (urban area) or by usually small used motorcycle batteries that need to be taken to be recharged every few days or so. Costs range from small pot stoves of approximately 800 rupees to very large pot stoves costing thousands of rupees.

No one has looked at into the success of this technology but from ours and our colleagues experiences seeing tens if not hundreds of manufacturers across Nepal they should number in the 100s of thousands of turbo stoves.

We feel one of the main reason for their success has been, like the more recent rice husk stove, the increasing price of petroleum fuels, that have pushed the even the middle class back to use of biomass/fuel wood.

NAEF feels there are many reasons for looking at their success and impact. One would be the simply to learn how and why these technologies caught on so rapidly (adoption) and to apply to other new technologies on the horizon. Another would be to gauge any impact on women's health by the cleaner burning / reduced smoke. A third reason is to aid in gauging the use of fuel wood, the primary fuel source. And then use of this information for inclusion of this "cleaner more efficient burning" technology in sustainable forestry and more precise carbon use measurements and carbon trading. Lastly, to see if any of the stoves have been modified for using other, perhaps more sustainable biomass fuel sources such as agricultural residues.

The second biomass stove technology is the busa chulo or sawdust stove. Though the number and area is likely much less than the turbo stoves we find there are quite a number of manufacturers of this stove. NAEF has not found any incident of NGOs or projects claiming to have promoted this technology so we surmise that the stove most likely brought by enterprising entrepreneurs manufacturers from across the border in India. The stoves cost are approximately 1000 rupees (17 USD) or more but the savings reported by their users are significant over petroleum stoves and wood stoves. Again, all the above reasons for the turbo stove apply in why there is great need to study the impact of these sawdust stoves.

Figure Two: Sawdust stove manfactured in Kalophul, Kathmandu

A third is perhaps the "oldest" newest stove on the market simply called phalam chulo iron stove. These are actually made from steel sheet with one air inlet hole and one outlet. They are very portable and cost about 600 rupees (9 USD). The stove coems with plugs to stop the burning and save the fuel (normall wood). THe top (which has the outlet heater hole) can be removed for loading of the stove. It appearently doesn't burn any more efficiently or cleanly than other local stoves but that the holes can be plugged and the wood/charcoal saved for the next round of cooking is very important to the urban and rural poor who mostly use this stove.

Figure three: Iron stove manufactured in Teku, Kathmandu