The Maputo coal stove project: Environmental assessment of a new household fuel

In a period of rapid price increases of household fuels in Maputo, the Ministry of Industry and Energy decided to investigate the possibility of coal for household use. Economic calculations showed that coal would be a competitive fuel on the local market. Investigations of the environmental effects of coal substitution indicate that emissions from coal stoves would be similar to those from the presently used wood fires. A computer model showed that ambient air pollution would exceed European guidelines for many species if 150 000 families began to use coal. However, an investigation of ambient air quality showed that the present pollution situation was already several times worse than acceptable levels in developed countries. This prompted a recommendation to restrict the dissemination of coal use, both with regard to the number of users and to the location of use.