KOKO shines at India Energy Week

India's quest for clean cooking solutions took a bioethanol turn at the recent India Energy Week as KOKO’s stall at the Global Biofuels Alliance’s pavilion attracted attention from top government officials and industry executives, who were enthralled with the potential role of this solution in helping to achieve India's ambitious goals of universal clean cooking access, energy independence, and Net Zero emissions. 

KOKO’s stall was graced by the Hon. Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi, who listened intently to a briefing on our current operations in Kenya and our manufacturing site in India, and then shared his appreciation of our USPs of daily affordability and positive social and environmental benefits. 

KOKO’s stall was also graced by Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri, the Hon. Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs in the Government of India, and the Hon. Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Labour and Employment, Mr. Rameswar Teli, as well as senior executives and leaders from the global energy industry. Minister Puri highlighted his visit to our stall during his closing remarks for India Energy Week. 

Adding fuel to the fire, KOKO was invited to a panel discussion on “Clean cooking fuels: social justice & sustainability” moderated by Anish De, Global Head of Energy at KPMG. This discussion delved into the potential for energy majors to leverage their infrastructure to boost efficiency and scale of new clean energy solutions. It also examined how carbon finance could help drive consumer affordability of such solutions through proper recognition and valuation of the environmental and social benefits (created by the switch to sustainable fuels). 

​On the final day of Energy Week, KOKO signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) to establish the first demonstration site for household cooking with liquid bioethanol fuel in India. KOKO is honoured to partner with HPCL to enable potential consumers, regulators, and other stakeholders to experience bioethanol cooking “first-hand” in India.  

Subsequent collaborations and partnerships under discussion would expand the number and type of demonstration sites, conduct research into household cooking practices, and thoroughly analyse the commercial viability, socio-economic and environmental impacts, and policy considerations for scaling up bioethanol cooking in India.

While KOKO's presence at India Energy Week sparked tremendous interest in this innovative cooking solution, the market development journey is just beginning. Collaborative efforts, data-driven analysis, and policy support will be crucial in determining the role bioethanol cooking can play in India's sustainable energy future.