Clean and affordable energy solutions for Kenyan households

According to the World Health Organisation, indoor air pollution causes around 4 million deaths worldwide every year (WHO, 2018). Traditional biomass fuels, such as wood and charcoal, are used by people across the world every day to help heat and run their homes. However, in doing so individuals are exposing themselves to toxic pollutants which are harmful to human health.

In an effort to tackle this problem and minimise the negative environmental impacts of burning biomass fuels, Kenyan innovator, Peter Njeri has pioneered ‘Mega Gas’. The innovation converts plastic waste into a gaseous fuel through a thermal cracking process of distillation and compression. The process produces no emissions, residue, or pollution and benefits low-income families by offering a clean and affordable cooking gas.

Since the project’s inception over 10 metric tonnes of plastic waste has been converted, providing nearly 6,000 people with a cleaner and healthier cooking experience. This has had the added impact of saving 5,438kg of CO2, which would have otherwise been released into the atmosphere through the burning of traditional biomass fuels.

Having made significant steps towards tackling indoor air pollution in Kenya, the project team are continuing to forge new partnerships across regional and global networks with the aim to share knowledge and implement this technology elsewhere. Their ambition is to expand the project’s scope to focus on the growing problem of outdoor air pollution – one that is currently responsible for 8.8m early deaths every year across the world (PNAS, 2018).

Mega Gas Alternative Energy, through their cheaper and clean gas, has helped me to save money for other activities. The extra shillings that I save every month goes towards food for the family.

Catchpole Arunda