BURN, Africa’s leading clean cookstove manufacturer and carbon project developer, has partnered with AIM Carbon to open a 2,000-square-metre production and warehouse facility in Blantyre, Malawi. The plant will initially manufacture the ECOA Char charcoal stove, delivering 72 percent thermal efficiency and 40 – 65 percent fuel savings for households. Once fully operational, monthly output is projected at 50,000 stoves, accelerating access to affordable, data-verified clean cooking solutions across the region (burnstoves.com).
New Production Hub in Blantyre
Officially inaugurated by Hon. Dr. Owen Chomanika, Malawi’s Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change, the factory represents a USD 1 million investment aimed at turning Malawi into a strategic manufacturing base that will also serve Mozambique and Zambia. During the launch, Dr. Chomanika challenged BURN to scale up to 1.2 million stoves annually within five years to reach every Malawian household.
Key Facility Facts
- Size: 2,000 sq m production and warehouse space
- Initial product: ECOA Char stove
- Monthly capacity at scale: 50,000 units
- Digital monitoring: 5 percent of units for real-time usage and carbon credit verification
Technology, Verification and Impact
ECOA Char has been independently validated by the University of Chicago, the University of Pennsylvania and Yunus Social Business for its impact on health, climate and household savings. The stove’s high efficiency reduces charcoal demand, helping conserve forests and protect water bodies that face pressure from unsustainable fuel harvesting.
Job Creation and Inclusive Growth
The facility has already generated 520 jobs along the value chain, with 99 percent of employees hired locally and women holding roughly half of all roles. BURN plans to double the workforce to 1,000 within five years, reinforcing its commitment to gender inclusion and community empowerment.
Carbon Finance and Affordability
By 2030 the programme targets distribution of 2 million stoves countrywide, directly improving the lives of over 8 million Malawians, preventing 18 million t of CO₂ emissions and saving 9.6 million t of wood. High-integrity carbon credits—generated under Gold Standard’s TPDDTEC methodology and fully ICVCM-approved, CCP-compliant and CORSIA-eligible—are expected to unlock more than USD 60 million in subsidies. These credits slash retail prices by 60 – 90 percent, meaning a USD 40 stove can reach households for as little as USD 5, making clean cooking affordable even for vulnerable families.
Regional Scale-Up
The Malawi project forms part of a broader initiative to deploy 1.2 million clean cooking devices across Malawi, Madagascar, Tanzania, Kenya and Nigeria. High-quality carbon financing underpins each market, creating a replicable model for clean cooking expansion in Southern and Central Africa.
Leadership Perspectives
- Hon. Dr. Owen Chomanika: “Our women walk long distances for firewood, risking safety and losing valuable time. BURN’s stoves improve health, protect forests and save households money.”
- Peter Scott, Founder and CEO, BURN: “Malawi is now a strategic manufacturing hub for Central and Southern Africa thanks to government support and a USD 1 million initial investment.”
- Igor Akhmerov, CEO, AIM Carbon: “We are combining trusted carbon methodologies, real-time data and scalable distribution to deliver measurable health, climate and economic benefits.” (aim-carbon.com)
