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Last edited: 3 July 2023
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 Video showing the Darfur Peace and Development Organization solar cooking project. This is a solar cooker workshop in Nyala, Darfur. As the women look for firewood around the displacement camps they face the danger of rape and abduction. Solar cooking offers an alternative to using firewood for cooking.
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Events[]
Featured international events[]
- 3-7 November 2025 (Fortaleza, Brazil): Solar World Congress 2025 - The Solar World Congress (SWC) is the official congress of the International Solar Energy Society (ISES), held every two years since 1970. It is the world’s largest event for scientific and technological dissemination in the field of solar energy conversion technologies, along with other renewable energy sources. The congress gathers professors, researchers, students, public managers, company representatives, and other professionals in this field. SWC 2025 will take place at a crucial time for global discussions on the advancement of renewable energy, as COP30 will take place in Belem, Brazil only a few days after SWC 2025 closes. (Early bird registration by 7 August 2025) More information...
- NEW: 10-21 November 2025 (Belém, Brazil):The Conference of the Parties (COP30) - The largest global United Nations event for discussions and negotiations on climate change. COP is held annually, with the presidency rotating among the five UN-recognized regions. In 2025, Brazil will have the honor of hosting the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30). The chosen city will provide the world with a unique platform to discuss climate solutions, firmly rooted in the heart of the Amazon. The event will gather world leaders, ministers and representatives of international organizations to discuss how to tackle the climate crisis through fair and sustainable energy transitions, as well as forest and biodiversity conservation. Solar Cookers International's, Executive Director, Caitlyn Hughes, Science Director, Dr. Alan Bigelow, and Strategic Partnerships Manager, Keith Wingeard, will be representing the solar cooking community. The SCI team will showcase the success of new programs in Mali and the Central African Republic, along with progress from the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. See the schedule of SCI's participation and presentations...
- See also: Global Calendar of Events and past events in Sudan
News[]
- July 2023: During the recent hostilities in Sudan, the Solar Foods factory was tragically looted and burned to the ground
- April 2023: The over one thousand 100 Suns solar stoves constructed locally and owned by the IDPs and local communities in Sudan until the civil war broke out on 15th April are proving their usefulness now in these tough times and are reported to being used, when electricity, cooking gas and fuel is difficult to find and even venturing out of the house is risky.
The last image received of the 100 Suns solar stove being demonstrated at Mayo locality near Khartoum before the civil war broke out in Sudan.
- March 2023: Solar Foods located in Sudan, is providing farmers with a way to extend the profitability of their harvests with solar food processing. Also they have provided a link to their Solar Foods business profile, October 2022
- March 2023: Solar stove production - Roll out of four thousand 100 Suns solar stoves begins in Sudan with support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and will be manufactured wholly by indigenous communities.
100 Suns solar stove installed at 2 Degrees Cafe in IIT Gandhinagar
- December 2022: 100 Suns wins the National Energy Globe Award in Sudan for its initiative in the country: training refugees, IDPs and host communities in constructing and operating 100 Suns solar stoves.
Dr. Alaa Hamadto, CEO and cofounder of Solar Foods
- December 2019: New food processing company in Sudan - Solar Foods was established in 2017 by Dr. Alaa Hamadto to bring solar-dried foods to the marketplace, using solar dryers from her father's company, Solar Energy Enterprises.
- April 2018: Solar Foods is First Runner-Up in the MIT Arab Startup Competition.
- February 2018: Solar Box Cooker Promotion Model in Alkiryab Village - Mawahib Ahmed reports: Solar cooking technology in Sudan started at research level since 70’s in Energy Research Institute but till now the technology doesn’t reach deployment stage. There were very limited efforts had been done during the last 40 years ,by some organization like UNIDO and NGOs like Sudanese environment Conservation Society for technology dissemination. Solar box cooker (SBC) is most appropriate for household use, but it needs to be adapted to Sudanese cooking pattern. Sudan like other least developing countries suffer from access to energy services, the most affected sector is household. Now there is a problem of affordability and accessibility for LPG as alterative for charcoal, providing environmental problem that comes from the use of charcoal. Solar cooking saves from 40-50% of fuel when it is used with other alternative like LPG or charcoal. A model is being developed as a pilot project in Alkiryab village 18 km from Khartoum. The beneficiaries are women, the SBC was introduced with other energy alternative which is LPG gas cooker as one package The beneficiaries are 12 women. The overall goal of the model is to establish model for household energy conservation that includes solar box cooker that can applied in all Sudan. Other objectives are i) To access solar box cooker in targeted communities with reasonable price ii) To encourage women to use the solar box cooker as one of the alternative at home. The model is initiated by National Center for Research (Appropriate Technology Department, Institute of Engineering Research and Material technology), The responsible researcher is Dr. Mawahib Eltayeb Ahmed. The main partner is El Badail Company which is private company assigned to provide LPG gas cylinder, LPG cooker and SBC. The third partner is AlEbdaa bank is the financial body, which finance 12 women as micro finance project(18 months with 1% profit). Social responsibility money from Dal group (one of big private sector) support the price by 70%. There are some benefits gained from Solar Box Cooker introduction firstly it is clean and healthy technology women saved from 40-50% LPG monthly, accordingly there is money saved, secondly some women use it in for income generating activity by selling cup cakes or beans finally women can be part of carbon market credit.
Officials of the Sudanese Family Bank are convinced to support a microfinance program, in cooperation with Solar Energy Enterprises Company, with a three-day solar 'cook-in' on the rooftop of bank headquarters.
- December 2016: Sudanese bank supports solar cooking initiative - The Solar Energy Enterprises Company, under the direction of Salih Hamadto, has convinced the Sudanese Family Bank to participate in financing solar cookers through their microfinance program, which is well established in Sudan. After initial interest, Salih established a temporary solar cooking kitchen on the rooftop of bank headquarters in Khartoum. With three parabolic and four box solar cookers, they prepared meals for staff and visitors over a three-day period. A business plan was established incorporating cost, logistical matters, advocacy, maintenance, and training of new trainers.
The new all-metal solar box cooker from the Solar Energy Enterprises Company. Photo credit: Solar Energy Enterprises Company
- October 2016: New box cooker in production - Salih Hamadto has announced his Solar Energy Enterprises Company has begun production of their all-metal solar box cooker. The use of rugged construction materials is intended to ensure a long service life for the cooker.
Student at SEEC training facility
- May 2016: Salih Hamadto, Director of the Solar Energy Enterprises Company (SEEC), presents a summary of the training program they provide to students of sustainable technologies as they apply to single user and institutional scale projects. Solar cooking is very much part of the program incorporating parabolic and box cooker approaches. Read his report: (SEEC) Industrial Development of Solar Cookers in Sudan - Salih Hamadto
Salih Hamadto: Solar Cooking on Earth Day
- April 2016: Salih Hamadto writes: "Solar Cooking on Earth Day - We show some recent public lunches. They were meant to promote solar cooking, especially in the eyes of aid workers and government officials. The first post depicts photos of a public lunch thrown a few months ago during the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Practical Action, an NGO that has operated in Sudan for over 40 years. The main theme was “Technology Justice”: The Global Right to Access Sustainable Technologies. Following a talk I gave, and the very comprehensive solar lunch, it was universally agreed that solar cooking is an overlooked opportunity for technology justice in Sudan and Sub-Saharan Africa. A dialogue was started to deal with this. The celebration was under the patronage of Dr. Tahani Abdalla Attia, Minister of Communications and Information Technology."
History[]
- Main article: History of solar cooking
Archived articles
Climate and culture[]
Solar Cookers International has rated Sudan as the #11 country in the world in terms of solar cooking potential (See: The 25 countries with the most solar cooking potential). The estimated number of people in Sudan with fuel scarcity in 2020 is 6,600,000.
"[T]he availability of firewood in Darfur is dwindling, and women in North Darfur have all but stopped collecting firewood simply because there is none to collect, said Ms. Patrick. The Sudanese Forestry Department has reported total destruction of the environment up to a radius of an hour's walk around the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Darfur—there are virtually no trees and the mining of their roots has prevented regrowth. See: Alternative Fuels Take Root in Refugee Camps
See also
- The climate of Sudan - Wikipedia
- Sudan Energy Situation - Energypedia
- Discussion of eastern Africa's suitability for solar cooking
- Solar cooker dissemination and cultural variables
Resources[]
Possible funding[]
Facebook groups[]
Reports[]
- May 2016: Industrial Development of Solar Cookers in Sudan - Salih Hamadto
- August 2012: Alternative Domestic Energy Options for Darfur - A Review - UNDP (Report gives short shrift to solar cooking, but contains other good information about the energy situation in Sudan)
- May 2008: Cooking in a semi-rural area in Sudan, A case study in al-Sororab - Muna Rizig and Ben Croxford
- May 2007: Report on Solar Cooker Workshop - Nyala, Darfur - Darfur Peace and Development Organization
Articles in the media[]
- December 2012: Forward With Intention: Solar Cooker Project - Huffington Post
- February 2009: How are solar cookers saving lives in Chad and Darfur? - HowStuffWorks
- May 2008: Rays of hope for Darfur refugees - Guardian Weekly (UK)
- January 2008: A report on Gabriele's trip to the Darfur refugee camps in Chad
- November 2007: Cooking in Darfur: Solar stoves cleaner, safer for refugees - Monterey Herald
- August 2007: Durbin urges people to action on Darfur - Senator discusses what can be done by individuals - Journal Register
- July 2007: Simple sun-cooker takes off as a way to help Darfuris (includes video) - The Christian Science Monitor
Audio and video[]
- May 2022:
Sudanese women testing the Solar Stove they constructed on their own-2
Building the 100 Suns solar stove
- August 2010:
- September 2008:
- June 2007:
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Darfur Peace and Development Organization solar cooking project
Construction plans in Arabic[]
- CooKit variation (made from smaller pieces of cardboard)
Refugee camps with solar cooking projects[]
- See Refugee camps.
Contacts[]
The entities listed below are either based in Sudan or have initiated solar cooking projects there: