Workshop on NGO Delivery of Rural Energy Services The Wood Energy Network of Cambodia (WENetCam) in cooperation with Ministry of Industry Mines and Energy (MIME) organized a workshop on NGO Delivery of Rural Energy Services. The workshop venue was the Jualiana hotel Phnom Penh, wiht financial support form World Bank-ESMAP, Cambodia SMEs in Decentralized Energy Service Program. This workshop aimed at informing relevant actors working in the field of rural energy development on potential Rural Energy technologies, and seeking NGP coopertation in dissemination of Improved Cookstove as part of a pilot project to test dissemination strategies of Improved Cookstove in rural areas. The Pilot project supported by the World Bank-ESMAP Program will be executed by GERES a NGO that successfully disseminated improved cookstoves through commercialization in urban areas.

The workshop presentation can be downloaded:
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On June 25 2007, the Wood Energy Network of Cambodia (WENetCam) in cooperation with Ministry of Industry Mines and Energy (MIME) organized a workshop on NGO Delivery of Rural Energy Services. The workshop venue was the Juliana hotel, Phnom Penh, with financial support from World Bank – ESMAP, Cambodian SMEs in Decentralized Energy Service Program. This workshop aimed at informing relevant actors working in the field of rural energy development on potential Rural Energy technologies, and seeking NGO cooperation in dissemination of Improved Cookstove as part of a pilot project to test dissemination strategies of Improved Cookstove in rural areas.

The pilot project supported by the World Bank – ESMAP Program will be executed by GERES a NGO that successfully disseminated improved cookstoves through commercialization in urban areas.

The workshop was presided by HE. Tun Lean, General Director of the General Directorate of Energy from MIME. In total 44 participants represented 21 NGOs, 4 government institutions and 4 donor agencies attended the workshop. H.E. Tun Lean highlighted in his opening remark the strategic plan of MIME in energy development which focuses on improving access of the rural poor to electricity and other basic energy service at affordable prices. Regarding rural energy strategy, he mentioned the importance and high potential of renewable biomass sources. As an example village grid electrification by biomass gasification and improved palm sugar stove to were mentioned.

The workshop had the twin aims of advising rural NGOs on the potential energy technologies that could improve the lives of the poor and to discuss potential dissemination strategies focusing on Improved Cookstove commercialization.

Several presentations described a whole range of potential technologies that could improve the live of rural households (see presentation in pdf). Technologies that were presented included; improved cookstoves, improved charcoal production, energy tree planting, biomass gasifier, solar lantern, biodigester, biofuel and energy efficiency; water filter, battery pack lantern.

Potential strategies were discussed by the participants in three sub groups to examine ways to commercialize the Improved Cookstoves dissemination in rural areas. GERES indicated that the Neang Kongrei improved cookstove, would have high potential in rural areas as it is relatively cheap and suitable for wood burning. The members of WENetCam, NGOs working in rural area were identified as potential partners as they could setup small retailers promoting and selling the stoves to rural families. The group discussion claimed that main barrier for dissemination of improved cookstoves in rural areas is the lack of capital investment, and the distribution to remote villages. The NGOs suggested that a existing community self-help groups and other community-base business activities have business potential to sell the improved cookstove to households and include financial schemes to make the stoves accessible to the poor.

Presentation were given at the workshop by Chhan Rata form the Ministry of Woman’s Affairs on policies for gender in local governance and Him Somarong from MIME on the gender working groups activities related to SMEs. Parallel to the workshop a special Gender and Energy discussion was initiated by the WB program advisor Clive Hughes with 10 women from several institutions participated (NGOs, Ministry of Women Affairs and MIME), during the discussion a Gender & Rural Energy Working Group was established. All supported the idea and were willing to take part in this group.

According to the final remarks by Chantheang from WENetCam the workshop was fruitful and the results essential for the World Bank – ESMAP Program and GERES in formulating concrete approaches to ICS dissemination, and especially informative to all participants as it introduced potential and practical rural energy technologies that could contribute to poverty alleviation.