Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Fire for Cooking Also Generates Electricity

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

RIO DE JANEIRO, Apr 13 2009 (IPS) - A Brazilian company is selling an efficient wood-burning stove that, in addition to cooking, generates electricity, which could be a boon to Brazilian families living in isolated areas, especially in the Amazon. The stove is made from iron, aluminum and other materials, and burns 30 to 35 percent less wood than a traditional stove by making better use of the heat, says Ronaldo Sato, director of Energer (Geradores de Energias Renováveis), the company that makes the stoves.

“It is cheaper than solar or wind energy,” and it is not limited by the hours of sunlight or presence of wind, he told Tierramérica.

In Brazil, there are 12 to 15 million people without electrical services, who could benefit from the invention because they live in areas of abundant biomass waste, like fallen trees and branches and farm waste. The government of the Amazonian state of Acre has already acquired 91 units at a cost of 2,500 dollars each.