TotalEnergies and DelAgua have announced a landmark partnership aimed at bringing cleaner, safer, and more sustainable cooking to 200,000 rural households in Rwanda, benefiting more than 800,000 people. Over the next decade the project is expected to avoid 2.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions.
The partnership builds on DelAgua’s award-winning Tubeho Neza (“Live Well”) programme, which has already delivered more than 1.6 million life-changing cookstoves free of charge to families across Rwanda. These stoves, produced by leading manufacturer BURN, cut wood usage by 71% and reduce harmful smoke emissions by 81% compared to traditional open fires, transforming household air quality and protecting Rwanda’s forests.
A Project Built on Integrity and Innovation
This project stands out for its world-class carbon credit standards. It will be eligible for the Core Carbon Principles, representing the highest bar for quality in the voluntary carbon market, indicating that the project meets the most rigorous, globally recognised standards for integrity, climate impact, and sustainable development.
From the very start, a sample of stoves from this project will be fitted with Stove Use Monitors to track uptake through digital Measurement Reporting and Verification, supported by DelAgua’s established advanced digital monitoring platform. This ensures accurate climate reporting and proof of long-term benefits.
Delivering Lasting Change for People and Planet
By replacing smoky, inefficient three-stone fires, the cookstoves contribute towards a host of the Sustainable Development Goals. The stoves are provided with lifelong household visits from DelAgua’s network of over 7,000 local Community Health Workers who provide education and support, ensuring they are used effectively for years to come.
A Shared Vision for a Carbon-Neutral Future
This initiative supports Rwanda’s ambition to achieve universal access to clean cooking by 2030 and aligns with TotalEnergies’ global commitment to provide affordable, reliable, and clean energy for all, as part of its journey toward net zero by 2050. For DelAgua, it’s another step toward their bold goal: every rural household in Rwanda using a clean cookstove – improving lives, protecting the environment, and setting a global example of how carbon finance can deliver social transformation at scale.
Euan McDougall, CEO, DelAgua:
“This partnership demonstrates what can be achieved when innovation, integrity, and collaboration come together. By combining DelAgua’s proven track record in delivering large-scale impact with TotalEnergies’ commitment to sustainable development, we are transforming lives across Rwanda while setting a new benchmark for high-quality carbon projects globally.”
Pascal Siegwart, Vice-President Carbon Markets and Economy, TotalEnergies:
“TotalEnergies is proud to support this transformative project in Rwanda, which will provide cleaner cooking solutions to more than 800,000 people. This initiative reflects our commitment to making energy more affordable, accessible, and sustainable. By promoting clean cooking, we aim to deliver tangible benefits for the environment and public health, while also contributing to gender equality. Such projects are key to driving long-term social, economic, and human development in a sustainable way.”
About DelAgua
DelAgua is a social enterprise with more than a decade of experience implementing large-scale carbon development projects that transform the lives of rural households in Least Developed Countries across Africa. The Live Well programme exclusively targets rural communities who are otherwise unable to afford the transition to clean cooking now. DelAgua works in partnership with host governments and has operated under a Memorandum of Understanding in Rwanda since starting operations in 2012.
About TotalEnergies
TotalEnergies is a global integrated energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas, biogas and low-carbon hydrogen, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to provide as many people as possible with energy that is more reliable, more affordable and more sustainable. Active in about 120 countries, TotalEnergies places sustainability at the heart of its strategy, its projects and its operations.
For more information, please contact:
DelAgua Group CEO – Euan McDougall, [email protected]
DelAgua Group Communications Director – Kate Bruges [email protected]
