The roadmap identifies 11 high-opportunity markets in sub-Saharan Africa where LPG consumption could significantly increase, writes Yasmin Zaman
The growth of LPG as a clean cooking fuel in sub-Saharan Africa will remain limited without immediate and considerable advancement in regulation and investment, according to a new roadmap released by the World Liquid Gas Association (WLGA).
The report, commissioned by the WLGA's recently formed Cooking For Life Africa Task Force (CFLA), calls for clear, enforceable regulatory frameworks, financing and payment plans to reduce cost barriers, and investment in infrastructure including roads to better support distribution.
The roadmap identifies 11 high-opportunity markets in sub-Saharan Africa where under favourable conditions per capita LPG consumption could increase to 25kg/yr by 2030 and 40kg/yr by 2050. In seven markets, including Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and Cameroon, policies are already in place that will drive growth opportunities, leaving four that need to address this challenge, according to the roadmap. Affordability is an issue in all countries except Ghana. In Nigeria, this is considered a "major roadblock" because of the depreciation of the naira.
The roadmap was released after the UN's Cop 29 climate conference, where major European oil firms pledged $500mn to energy access in sub-Saharan Africa and south and southeast Asia.
The WLGA established the CFLA at the IEA's summit on clean cooking in Africa earlier this year. Its founding members include TotalEnergies, Norway's Equinor, Nigerian state-owned oil firm NNPC, LPG trading firm Petredec and regional LPG distributor Oryx Energies.
"The LPG roadmap, which targets about 60pc of the continent's population without access to clean cooking solutions, will simultaneously address economic, health and environmental challenges across Africa," NNPC's managing director Huub Stokman said. TotalEnergies' vice-president of LPG Biova Agbokou added that the CFLA and the roadmap can also act "as another lever to reach more end-users".
