Building a Clean Cooking Business

Hinata Energy Limited is a bioethanol clean cooking business entering the market in Nigeria, led by their CEO Kamal-Deen Kassim. Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa, but 147 million people still rely on polluting fuels for cooking with 70% using biomass and 12% using kerosene. Hinata saw a business opportunity paired with social responsibility when they were able to assume an abandoned cooking project that had previously attempted to start up in the country, and paired that with a recognized need for clean cooking options in the university system. Currently, students aren't able to utilize LPG or electric cookstoves in the tertiary institutions in Nigeria due to explosion or fire risks. Polluting fuels remain the option for students in the dormitories, which is also representative of the communities they live in. Kamal was able to align with partners in Nigeria and form an agreement with the National Board of Technical Education to start deploying 50,000 stoves over 6 geo-political zones over the next several years. Hinata Energy is also building fuel kiosks at each location the stoves are marketed in order to provide access and affordability. As the tertiary institutions support these efforts, not only will students benefit from healthier air in their dorms, but staff, and families in the surrounding communities will also gain exposure and have opportunities to purchase clean stoves and fuel.

Listen in as we talk about Kamal's introduction to clean cooking, Hinata's start, their target market and strategy, why bioethanol is such an ideal option for this market, the importance of private sector investment in the sector, and his advice to other businesses starting up in clean energy.