News & events

From 7 to 11 July 2025, the World Bioenergy Association (WBA) took part in the 12th GBEP Bioenergy Week, held in Kampala, Uganda. The event was organized by the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP), coordinated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and gathered over 200 participants from across the bioenergy field. Attendees included policymakers, international development organizations, researchers, industry representatives, and youth. This year’s discussions focused on the role of sustainable bioenergy in supporting just and inclusive energy transitions in Africa and beyond.

This year’s Bioenergy Week marked the first time for the GBEP Youth Day to be held in Africa. The day included lectures, a youth innovation award, and a discovery circuit showcasing practical examples of bioenergy technologies. As part of the discovery circuit, WBA presented a gasifying cookstove developed by one of our members, SSM Cookstove Manufacturer (China). The demonstration gave participants a chance to see how clean cooking technologies can help reduce household emissions and improve energy access. The cookstove was presented alongside a range of other solutions from associations, universities, NGOs, and companies.

Christian Rakos at the discovery circuit. Photo taken by Alan Sherrard. 

The week’s agenda focused on four key themes: policy frameworks, clean cooking, inclusive transitions, and data and innovation. High-level sessions addressed the role of bioenergy in national and regional energy strategies, including inputs from representatives of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Brazil, and the United States. Discussions highlighted the importance of including bioenergy in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the need for coherent policy support, and the importance of building enabling environments for investment and capacity building. The WBA, along with our member SSM, sponsored a formal cocktail reception held on 08 July, where delegates also had a chance to see the operation of various cookstoves from our members, including SSM, Ekasi Energy, and Ecossafi (Better Cooking Company).

With an entire day dedicated to advancing clean cooking access, the WBA had multiple interventions on the topic. WBA’s Executive Director, Bharadwaj Kummamuru, moderated a session on business models for bio-based clean cooking systems. The panel explored the role of carbon financing, market access, and local financial capacity to drive adoption of advanced clean cooking technologies, including biogas, ethanol, and pellet cookstoves.

WBA President, Christian Rakos, took part in two sessions. He shared lessons from a school cooking pilot in Rwanda, developed by WBA and BioMassters, where firewood was replaced by pellets, and later spoke on the challenges and opportunities in developing sustainable solid biofuel markets in Africa.

Bharadwaj Kummamuru as a moderator. Photo taken by Alan Sherrard, Bioenergy International.

On 10 July, along the sidelines of the GBEP Bioenergy Week, WBA organized our member General Assembly 2025 (See more here).

Other sessions throughout the week looked at financing options, data collection, clean cooking solutions for rural and humanitarian settings, and gender-responsive energy transitions. Participants came from development banks, international agencies, government ministries, research institutions, and the private sector.

The final day included a field visit to two facilities: the National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI), where participants learned about biogas generation from livestock waste and circular economy approaches; and BioBurn Energy Solutions Limited, a company producing biomass pellets and cookstoves from agroforestry residues. These visits provided practical insights into applied bioenergy solutions contributing to emissions reduction and sustainable resource management.

This year’s GBEP Bioenergy Week emphasized the importance of building cooperation across sectors and regions, supporting practical and scalable technologies, and grounding policies in evidence and local realities. Many countries in Africa continue to face serious gaps in energy access, and events like this serve as a reminder that global energy transitions must be inclusive by design. It is not enough to speak of leaving no one behind. Real cooperation and targeted support are needed to ensure that countries and communities historically left out are part of the solutions. For WBA, the week was an opportunity to connect with partners from across the continent and beyond, share knowledge, and showcase member-led innovations that can support clean and just energy development in Africa and beyond.

A report on Bioenergy development in Uganda will be published soon.  

*Photo Credit: Alan Sherrard, Bioenergy International