NAIROBI, Kenya, July 16 – Clean cooking stove manufacturer BURN has expanded to Malawi as the firm seeks to accelerate access to clean cooking in Southern Africa.
The firm has opened a 2,000-square-meter production and warehouse space in Malawi capable of producing up to 50,000 biomass stoves per month once fully operational.
It will begin with the rollout of ECOA Char, the world’s most fuel-efficient charcoal stove, delivering 72 percent thermal efficiency and 40–65 percent fuel savings compared to traditional stoves.
In the initial phase, 5 percent of units will be fitted with digital monitoring to ensure data-backed usage, carbon credit accountability, and performance verification.
BURN’s stoves have been independently validated by institutions including the University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, and Yunus Social Business, consistently proving their impact on health, climate, and household savings.
“In 2024, the Government of Malawi issued BURN a Letter of Authorization to bring our clean cooking appliances to families who need them most,” said Peter Scott, Founder and CEO of BURN.
“Thanks to that support, we’re proud to launch this facility with an initial investment of USD $1 million. Our goal is to establish Malawi as a strategic manufacturing hub serving Central and Southern Africa—including Mozambique and Zambia.”
The facility has already created 520 jobs across the value chain, with 99 percent of employees hired locally.
Roughly 50 percent of all roles are held by women, with the company aiming to employ 1,000 Malawians over the next five years.
By 2030, BURN aims to distribute 2 million clean cookstoves across Malawi, improving the lives of over 8 million people, preventing 18 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions, and saving 9.6 million tonnes of wood.
The program is projected to generate more than $60 million in carbon credit subsidies and deliver $400 million in household fuel savings, making clean cooking affordable for even the most vulnerable households.
