Overview of the project

Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) draws on the UK’s world-leading universities and innovators with the aim of sparking a revolution in this sector. A key driver is the trajectory of costs, that show that cooking with clean, renewable electricity has the potential to reach a price point of affordability with associated reliability and sustainability within a few years, which will open completely new possibilities and markets.

Beyond the technologies, by engaging with the World Bank Energy Sector Assistance Program (ESMAP), MECS also identifies and generates evidence on other drivers for transition including understanding and optimising of multi-fuel use (fuel stacking); cooking demand and behavior change; and establishing the evidence base to support policy enabling environments that can underpin a pathway to scale and support markets and enterprises.

The five-year programme combines creating a stronger evidence base for transitions to modern energy cooking services in Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office priority countries with socio-economic technological innovations that will drive the transition forward.