​​A combination of electric and LPG cooking stoves is a sustainable long-term solution with multi-fold benefits

 ​​A combination of electric and LPG cooking stoves is a sustainable long-term solution with multi-fold benefits

A combination of electric and LPG cooking stoves is a prime solution for closing the remaining clean cooking gap.  It serves as a long-term solution with a reduced burden on fuel imports. As discussed above, access to clean cooking fuels and technologies will pose even more challenges than before in achieving this last miles of connections. This is because there are two dimensions to the challenge:

1. Viet Nam needs to completely eliminate the use of the traditional biofuel cooking stove by 2030 and replace it with clean cooking fuels and technologies, which is likely to increase the use of LPG cooking stoves;
2. LPG in Viet Nam is imported and is susceptible to external price hikes and supply difficulties, and therefore should be reduced.

Based on this two-pronged challenge, this analysis suggests using a combination of LPG and electric cooking stoves. LPG cooking stoves can be used in remote rural areas where electricity may not be of high quality and/or reliable, while the remaining areas can use electric cooking stoves.