ASSESSMENT OF SUSTAINABLE BIOMASS ENERGY POTENTIALS IN RWANDA

Although biomass cooking energy is still the dominant source of energy in Rwanda, the supply potential has not sufficiently been explored. There is little scientific study conducted on provision and prediction of the growth rate of woody biomass in Rwanda. Further, little is known about factors influencing the use of improved cooking stoves and adoption of new technology or assessment of the efficiency and affordable different types of cooking stoves. There is a gap between the quantity of fuelwood consumed before and after using improved cooking stoves. Previous studies have not addressed biomass fuel consumption modelling appropriately and therefore were unable to estimate the impact of changing energy policies on landscape restoration and climate change. This study attempts to explore the specific context on an assessment of sustainable biomass energy potential in the Eastern Province and peri-urban areas of Kigali City, Rwanda. The aim of this study is to perform a context-specific assessment of sustainable biomass energy potentials and its optimization in the Eastern Province and Kigali area of Rwanda. This aim thus calls for the following five specific objectives: 1. To map and measure standing stock of biomass in different land use system 2. To predict the growth rate of biomass in different land use system 3. To assess the efficiency, durability, affordability, and user-friendliness of ICS 4. To assess the demand for biomass for cooking and the impact of the improved cooking technology 5. To develop a consumption model on woody biomass supply and demand