The Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) under the Ministry of Environment and Technology has installed more than half a million Improved Cooking Stoves (ICS) as a renewable and alternative energy technologies.

The AEPC initiated Energy Sector Assistance Programme (ESAP) with the support of Denmark since 1999 and Norway since 2003. The promotion of biomass energy technologies including ICS is one of the key working areas of ESAP, informed AEPC.

The objective of the celebration is to bring together major stakeholders in biomass energy technologies and share experience and activities of AEPC/ESAP, concerned officials said.

Under the programme, AEPC has been installing different types of ICS in all ecological zones of the country and has also successfully installed over 600,000 ICS till June 2012 that includes mud as well ans metallic stoves, informed AEPC.

The government has also installed such stoves in some 64 districts including 2,372 VDCs and 34 municipalities through 357 local partner organisations. Over 8,000 promoters and stove masters are trained for ICS building, said AEPC. nepalnews.com