50% of Ghanaians to have LPG access by 2030 - Energy Minister

The government is implementing a National Liquified Petroleum Gas Promotion Programme to ensure that at least 50% of Ghanaians have access to LPG by 2030 as part of measures to mitigate climate change.

The Minister for Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, who disclosed this at the opening of the 3rd West African LPG Conference and Expo in Accra on Monday said the NLPGPP is an enhancement of the erstwhile Rural LPG Promotion Programme (RLPGPP), with an emphasis on commercial and industrial use.

He said the LPG sector offers a compelling way to support Africa's industrialisation drive while leveraging the switch to cleaner energy sources, adding that, it would require joint efforts from academia, business, and the government to carefully drive West Africa to maximize the economic benefits along the entire LPG value chain.

Dr Opoku Prempeh noted that although the usage of LPG as a household fuel has grown in several West African nations since the early 1990s, the average per capita consumption is still low by global standards.

The Minister was hopeful that, “after detailed discussions via this forum on the promotion of LPG through policies and national legislation in West Africa, LPG consumption might be greatly boosted in the region."

The 3-day conference and Expo is aimed at reaching an agreement on making LPG available at an attractive price in the West African Markets and attracting the requisite investments for LPG storage and distribution infrastructure.