Gas Fuelled Stoves

The only report we have received recently on the development or use of simple domestic stoves to burn gas, comes from Burkina Feso in the No. 15-16 (March '86) edition of 'Flamme' the bulletin of CILSS. This describes a recent initiative to develop a stove for popular, urban use fuelled by butane gas. It seems possible that the current national campaign against deforestation and desertification may result in a period of severe woodfuel shortage and so there is a need to investigate all possible alternatives.

Gas stoves give high Dower (2.5 to 4 KW) and fast boiling (5 1 in 15 mine.) and are clean, but commercial models are too expensive. Experiments and pilot trials (25 households) are being made with a stove body similar to a "Ouga Metallic" with an inverted cone to support the gas burner and direct the heat to the pot walls. The stove is sufficiently stable for the cooking of " to". The gas valve and burner are imported and not made locally and so are expensive, making the complete stove 6.000 CFA (No. 3 size pot). We hope to receive further information about the progress of the project.