Improved Biomass Cooking Stoves and Improved Stove Emission Equipment

Summary for Members of Congress: ASAT Inc. is helping to usher in a new generation of clean burning biomass cook stoves that will help protect the health of the worlds most vulnerable populations and reduce climate change. In addition, ASATs next generation emission testing equipment will revolutionize how biomass cooking stoves are monitored and improved in field operations around the globe. As many as 2.5 billion people rely on open fires and traditional stoves to cook their daily meals. Cooking with fire is dangerous in many ways. The exposure to smoke and carbon monoxide has been estimated by the WHO to kill 1.9 million people per year. Smoke from open fires and traditional cook stoves add to global climate change as well. Ten years ago, a stove was defined as improved if it reduced fuel use by 24% and reduced emissions of carbon dioxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM) by 64% and 36% respectively, compared to an open fire. Today, these reductions are known to be insufficient to protect health or address climate change. A true, state-of-the-art stove needs to reduce fuel use by 50% and reduce both CO and PM emissions by 90%. In addition, the stove must be affordable, reliable, meet user preferences, and be commercially successful. ASAT is leading the development of a new generation of clean cook stoves with support from DOE. The new generation stoves cannot be developed without emission equipment that accurately measures the fuel use and harmful emissions in the lab and in the kitchen. There is a critical need for easy to use, inexpensive and accurate equipment capable of being used by in-field investigators in a variety of settings and conditions around the world. The DOE is supporting US businesses to develop emission equipment that solves this problem. Like the stoves, the emission equipment must be commercially viable, robust, and biomass cooking stoves. ASAT Inc. (ASAT)1, a long-time contributing partner to the global initiative to improve biomass cook stoves, is uniquely positioned to develop and manufacture the next generation of biomass-fueled cook stoves and emission testing equipment. With decades of experience in the research, design, and manufacturing of biomass cook stoves and emission testing equipment, ASAT and its research partner, ARC, are proven performers and pioneers in this field. 1 ASAT, Incorporated also does business under the name StoveTec. The name StoveTec is used on ASATs product lines.