Shell Foundation, Indoor Air Pollution, Improved Cook Stoves: FIRST ENERGY

First Energy is an alternative energy business, catering to consumers in rural and suburban India through an affordable cooking offer branded “OORJA” consisting of a biomass stove and a fuel – made from pelletized agri-residue. The stove uses biomass gasification technology, developed and patented with the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. The fuel is made from compacted agri-residue. Both come together to form an affordable cooking offer – making a meal for a family of 5 for less than Rs 5/6 per meal.

The key advantages of the stove – pellet combination are:

• Fuel efficiency – uses less fuel than conventional sources of energy like wood, coal etc. for the same amount of cooking, due to controlled combustion – over 300% increase in efficiency over traditional stoves

• Smokeless – reduces indoor air pollution through reduction of oxides of carbon and sulphur emitted in conventional fuels. It also reduces suspended particulate matter in the air, thus creating a cleaner environment for the home – reduction in CO & SPM by over 70%
• Reduces deforestation because it helps reduce use of wood and agri biomass that were inefficiently burned in “chulhas”
• Helps environment/climate change in a positive way by reducing the “brown cloud” – carbon neutral to carbon positive
Overall, the vision is to provide cleaner, safer and sustainable energy solutions to emerging consumers who are caught in an “energy divide” and therefore, lack affordable and accessible sources of energy.