RTKC Milestones in Nepal
RTKC - an initiative to improve technology, communicate performance and promote sales and adoption of clean cooking devices promoting research and development of cookstoves in Nepal and the region is funded by Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC) and hosted by Centre for Rural Technology, Nepal (CRT/N). The RTKC is developing into an independent and internationally recognized stove testing service provider moving ahead with the mission of establishing itself into a centre of excellence in biomass knowledge and stoves testing sector using globally accepted testing procedures for Nepal and the South Asian region.
The project started in November 2012 and a number of activities have been accomplished with in the period. The initial activities such as identifying/locating the laboratory equipment, staffs recruitment and reconstruction of RTKC laboratory took place during the early inception period of the project.
With necessary supports from Associate Professor Dr. Tami Bond, University of Illinois an International Consultant for RTKC Nepal and Aprovecho Research Centre (ARC), Oregon the equipments were identified and processed for procurement during the first few months of inception. Laboratory Emission Measurement System (LEMS) a product of ARC was ordered.
Mr. Hari Gopal Gorkhali, RTKC Supervisor attended the EPA Intensive Training for Cookstoves Testing at Triangle Park North Carolina during 28 January to 1 February 2013 on GACC’s invitation along with 40 stove testers, researchers, developers and implementers from sixteen different countries. The training was focused on extensive formal and informal discussions on laboratory set‐up, maintenance, calibration and management; laboratory safety; quality assurance project plans; fuel measurements; field equipment set‐up; strengthening collaboration and knowledge sharing between testing centers; data processing and analyses. This had really been fruitful to start up the project at CRT/N.
Prof. Kirk R. Smith’s CRT/N Visit – Professor Smith from University of California Berkeley visited CRT/N on 15 January 2013 on his visit to Nepal. Professor Smith was invited to CRT/N as a resource person to update its staffs on the Global perspectives on Indoor Air Pollution (IAP) and Cookstoves related developments. In the mean time RTKC benefited with hands on knowledge of wide range of IAP instruments developed by Berkeley Air Monitoring Group and helped us identify the instruments needed for RTKC.
RTKC Advisory Group Formation – A loose form of advisory group have been formed in the month of February 2013. It comprised of Biomass energy experts from different sectors. Honorary Members of the advisory group are -
1. Dr. Krishna Raj Shrestha, former Chair, Research Centre for Applied Science and Technology (RECAST), Tribhuvan University
2. Dr. Bim Prasad Shrestha, HOD Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Kathmandu University
3. Dr. Ramesh Man Singh, Vice Chair, Centre for Energy and Environment Nepal
Equipment Setup and WBT Training – a ten days training on LEMS setup and Introductory WBT Training was conducted at its renovated laboratory at CRT/N under the guidance of Mr. Alex Seidel, Emission Engineer at ARC lab during 8-18 April 2013. LEMS was setup and CRT/N RTKC along with Renewable Energy Testing Station (RETS) participants under Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) also benefited form the training. RTKC lab came into operation from May 2013 with makeup tests for sharpening the testing ability of RTKC staffs.
RTKC Inauguration – The formal inauguration of
RTKC took place on 6 June 2013 in the special presence of Prof. Dr. Govinda Raj Pokharel, Executive Director Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), Government of Nepal (GoN) and Renowned Cardiologist Dr. Mrigendra Raj Pandey. Representatives from different government bodies, INGOS, NGOs, biomass entrepreneurs and related stakeholders were present in the occasion. Since then some fixed type rocket stoves have been tested and reported to clients.
RTKC’s participation at Clean Cooking Market Place (CCMP 2013) – RTKC participated the event organized by AEPC along with various stakeholders during 10-12 July 2013 at United Trade Centre, Thapathali. The event included Seminar, Expo and Field Visit. Centre for Rural Technology Nepal (CRT/N) being one of the supporters of the event had participated actively in the mission. Products, Services and Partnership opportunities were showcased by CRT/N with highlights on Regional Cookstoves Testing and Knowledge Centre (RTKC) establishment that provide cookstoves testing services with precise efficiency and accuracy. The test results of some of the stoves were pretty interesting to visitors. The other highlight of CRT/N was the Improved Cookstoves Programme with Carbon Finance (ICF) in which the two rocket stoves viz: Rocket stove with Metallic Combustion Chamber and Metallic Top Plate (RS1.1) and Rocket Stove with Ceramic Combustion Chamber and Metallic top plate (RS3.1) being promoted in the far-western development region were showcased. One another attraction was the Business Model ICS (Institutional Rocket Stove with Chimney, IRSC) recently developed by Rural Energy and Technology Service Centre (RETSC) team at CRT/N.
Prof. Dr. Rajendra Prasad’s visit to CRT/N – Prof. Prasad from IIT Delhi visited CRT/N RTKC on 11 July 2013. RTKC Nepal’s activities and vision/mission were shared. Prof. Prasad did share on the National Standards of Cookstoves Testing in India and envisioned us on the latest developments on the stoves testing tools in the global arena. His presence also as a RTKC coordinator at IIT, India helped RTKC Nepal built up the smooth relation among the RTKCs supported by GACC. His willingness to support and move ahead in a collaborative manner had been an encouraging factor for RTKC Nepal.
Training and Capacity Building Workshop on Cookstoves Programme Effectiveness – took place during 22-24 July 2013 at Yala Maya Kendra, Patan under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Tami Bond. The event was also supported by Winrock international Nepal. It was participated by 17 Core trainees (13 CRT/N- 3 from field offices, 3 AEPC, 1 RETS). The training workshop was organized to develop the capacity of staffs working in biomass sector at CRT/N and few other related organizations to use testing protocols and develop other tools to evaluate the effectiveness of cook stove programme.
Training Module was based on the following points
- Creating RTKC as a Centre of Excellence
- Preference of Testing Methods CCT/KPT/WBT
- Issues related to field/lab tests
National Workshop on Standards and Testing of Cookstoves – took place at Hotel Himalaya on 25 July 2013. The event was organized in collaboration with AEPC, GoN in association with Kathmandu University, Centre for Energy and Environment Nepal (CEE-N), Practical Action/ Indoor Air Pollution and Health Forum, Renewable Energy Test Station (RETS) under Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), Centre of Energy Studies (CES), Institute of Engineering (IOE), Tribhuvan University.
The event was actively participated by over 80 participants representing different players such as National Bureau of Standards and Testing (NBSM) GoN, Smart Urja Pvt. Ltd., World Bank, UNDP/RERL, WWF, ICIMOD, RECAST, NAST, CRT/N, ENPHO, ECCA, FOST Nepal, Min Energy, NEEP/GIZ, Nepal Services Pvt. Ltd, Swastha Chulo, Winrock International, Subha Biomass Pvt. Ltd, Global Peace Association, IUCN among others.
The consensus of the workshop was that providing clean energy (cooking solutions) to people who needed is the main goal and standard benchmark and protocol are the tools for achieving this. The priority of the time is setting up the benchmark keeping in mind the GoN’s ambitious mission of “Clean cooking Solutions for all by 2017” and revise the interim protocol 2009 for testing standards and create uniformity in testing procedures for all the testing centres in Nepal by obtaining accreditation from NBSM to ensure quality.
Dr. Ranyee Chiang’s visit to CRT/N – Dr. Chiang from Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC) on her mission to south Asian region visited CRT/N on 14 and 15 July 2013. During her visit several fruitful discussions took place. RTKC activities and GACCs views were clarified during the meetings.
Idea Shearing on Improving Testing Protocols – This event was organized jointly by RTKC CRT/N and AEPC at AEPC Conference hall in the afternoon of 14 August 2013 in the special presence of Dr Ranyee Chiang. The outcome of National Workshop on Standards and testing of Cookstoves were shared and discussion took place on improving testing protocols among the number stakeholders of GoN, individual testing centres including NGOs, INGO etc. in the context of GoN’s mission of “Clean Cooking Solutions for all by 2017” and biomass experts. Over 35 participants participated in the programme.
RTKC Nepal aims to be a centre of excellence in the field of cookstoves testing and a knowledge centre promoting research and development of cookstoves in Nepal and the region. The future plans include the wider networking and up scaling collaboration with global partners to establish itself as a sustaining entity. The baseline activities to obtain this have been to have well trained staffs and well equipped laboratory to provide service to clients and develop/share knowledge products and projects to support research and development.
