Fueling the Future: Switching School Kitchens from Firewood to LPG

The Rwanda’s Minister of Environment, Dr. Valentine Uwamariya, has encouraged institutions that serve large numbers of people, including schools, to adopt Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for cooking activities, as it has been shown to be more affordable and less harmful to the environment compared to continued reliance on firewood.

Rwanda is transitioning from firewood to LPG for cooking, with the goal of reducing reliance on biomass fuels for cooking. This shift is driven by environmental and health concerns associated with firewood use, as well as the desire to promote a cleaner and more efficient cooking energy source.

The recent living conditions survey showed that more Rwandan households have access to clean cooking fuels (gas and electricity), although the share remains low compared to those using charcoal and firewood.

Nationwide, the number of households using clean cooking fuels increased from 1 per cent in 2017 to 5 per cent in 2024. In urban areas, the numbers are more than three times the national average.

Up to 17 per cent of urban households used clean cooking fuels in 2024, an increase from 5 per cent reported in 2017. In rural areas, 1 per cent of households used clean cooking fuels in 2024, from just 0.2 per cent in 2017.

College Saint Ignace Mugina, located in Kamonyi District, Southern Province, is among 20 schools that received LPG equipment for cooking through the Green Amayaga project in 2023, in order to reduce the vulnerability of people and ecosystems to the adverse effects of climate change. The facilities include gas cylinders with a capacity of one metric ton each and two cooking pots.

The LPG use would not only reduce pressure on forests, but also reduce emissions, thus contributing to students’ wellbeing and helping schools to save money that was usually spent to buy firewood.

Minister Dr. Valentine Uwamariya, emphasized that gas is a feasible solution.

“To reduce deforestation, we must find a solution for cooking energy. What the Green Amayaga project has shown is that LPG is more affordable than firewood. The first challenge is changing the mindset, because, as we all see, even in our homes, we have gas for cooking but also keep a bag of charcoal on the side”, she said.

She also acknowledged that schools still face challenges with infrastructure, as the cooking equipment for gas is different from the one used for firewood. However, she pointed out that private schools are more flexible in changing their kitchen structures as they are not dependent on government budgets, while public schools have long-term plans.

“Doing it all at once may not be easy, but if we do it gradually, with enough gas supply in the country and schools being able to pay the costs, it will yield results”, she concluded.

Currently, a one-ton gas cylinder costs Rwf 1.4 million and can last nearly an entire term, though it cannot be used for cooking beans or maize flour. On the other hand, firewood for the entire term costs almost Rwf 2 million, according to Ruberanziza Pierre, the college’s accountant.

“Since we started using LPG, we’ve noticed a difference; the cost of firewood has decreased by 25%, and it’s also helped improve hygiene. In a traditional firewood kitchen, there’s always smoke and soot, but here cleanliness is evident, and the staff is smaller compared to those using firewood”, he explained.

However, he added that the main challenges to fully transitioning to gas is insufficient basic infrastructure. The school currently has a single one-ton gas cylinder, whereas they need two or three, or even one large cylinder, to increase the number of gas stoves and eventually replace firewood completely.

Munyangeyo Phocas, a kitchen staff member at the school, highlighted that using gas has made their work much easier, reducing the smoke that previously made their work difficult, and improving the cleanliness of the cooking area.

Green Amayaga Project would strengthen the resilience of communities and biodiversity and contribute to climate change stabilization particularly in the Districts of Kamonyi, Ruhango, Nyanza and Gisagara.

The project would enhance sustainable land management in the agricultural landscape, increase productivity of plantation forests and reduce the negative impacts of household energy systems on the forests by introducing improved cookstoves as well as sustainable charcoal production.

LPG is considered more environmentally friendly than other traditional fuels but it’s not without some environmental impacts. LPG produces less carbon dioxide and harmful air pollutants compared to these alternatives. Additionally, LPG is non-toxic and doesn’t contaminate soil or groundwater.