Blue Ocean LPG Bottling Plant has joined forces with Puma Energy Ghana to support Ghana’s clean cooking initiative by distributing over 1,025 Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders to six local communities.
This partnership is part of a broader plan to distribute more than 15,000 cylinders by December 2024, aimed at transitioning households from traditional fuels like wood and charcoal to cleaner and more efficient LPG.
In sub-Saharan Africa, LPG plays a crucial role in the energy mix, particularly where access to clean cooking fuels and technologies remains limited. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), millions of people rely on wood, charcoal, and kerosene for cooking, contributing to environmental degradation and health issues such as childhood pneumonia and asthma.
The initiative by Blue Ocean and Puma Energy seeks to address these challenges by providing innovative solutions to low-income households, enabling them to access clean cooking alternatives that improve both health and environmental welfare. This effort aligns with Ghana’s goal to increase LPG penetration to 50% of households by 2030, as outlined in the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS).
The distribution process is part of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA)-led Cylinder Recirculation Model (CRM) project, designed to enhance access to clean energy through efficient and safe bottling facilities. Blue Ocean’s state-of-the-art plant ensures operational efficiency and safety with automated and manual filling installations capable of handling various cylinder sizes.
Zwelithini Mlotshwa, General Manager of Puma Energy Ghana, emphasized the partnership’s commitment to improving community well-being through clean cooking access. “By reducing reliance on harmful traditional cooking fuels, we aim to positively impact health outcomes and environmental sustainability,” he stated.
Michael S. Kyeremanteng, Operations Manager at Blue Ocean LPG Bottling Plant, highlighted the facility’s role in supporting energy efficiency and the implementation of the CRM project in Ghana. “Our plant ensures safety and accessibility, bolstering efforts to provide clean cooking solutions across urban and rural communities,” he noted.
The collaboration also underscores Puma Energy’s broader commitment to the clean cooking agenda, as reflected in their participation in the Clean Cooking Declaration at the International Energy Agency’s Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa. By joining this initiative, Puma Energy commits to advancing clean cooking solutions through practical actions and fostering collaboration among stakeholders.
As distribution continues across communities in 11 regions of Ghana, stakeholders anticipate significant strides towards achieving cleaner, healthier cooking environments and sustainable energy practices nationwide.
tigpost.co
