The Ghana Liquefied Petroleum Gas Promotion Programme: Opportunities, Challenges and the Way Forward

Abstract

The pursuit for energy has evolved over the years and this has resulted in a sharp increase in demand with a corresponding increase in needs. With an ever-increasing awareness for the use of environmentally friendly fuels, the Government of Ghana initiated the Ghana LPG Promotion Programme in 1990 with the primary aim of eliminating the flaring of LPG at Tema Oil Refinery and encouraging the citizenry to switch to LPG usage due to its advantages over wood fuel. The Ghana LPG Promotion Programme has received good responses from citizens since its inception; however, there are some challenges that have to be addressed to ensure the long-term aim of the programme is accomplished and sustained. This research seeks to identify the opportunities and the challenges of LPG promotion in Ghana using secondary data. Some of the opportunities identified included job creation; reduction in the health and environmental problems associated with wood fuel and provided alternative fuel for gasoline powered vehicles. However, some of the challenges identified included lack of safety education on LPG usage, increasing cost LPG and its accessories, sporadic shortage of LPG, lack of prototype LPG stove, lack of accessibility and poor LPG transporting network. It is recommended that Government should increase LPG access to rural consumers by encouraging private investors to build refilling plants at safe locations that can easily be accessed during market days, ensure more education on best safety practices and innovations on LPG usage to reduce LPG associated hazards and also, government should institute a clear-cut policies and regulatory changes that will encourage the usage of LPG in Ghana.