Liquefied Petroleum Gas Consumption Research Articles

Examination of the factors contributing to environmental degradation: does LPG consumption still matter?

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is one of the energy resources that deserve to be qualified as a transition fuel for developing countries that cannot abandon their dependence on non-renewable energy use and adopt renewable alternatives. The current study examines how environmental degradation is affected by financial development, LPG use, and economic growth in the BRICS-T countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and Turkiye) in the period of 1993-2018. For this purpose, four models were tested with Pedroni, Kao,PMG Panel ARDLcointegration and Dumitrescu-Hurlin causality methods. The results show that LPG consumption has a positive effect on the ecological footprint and an adverse influence on the CO2 emission of BRICS - T countries. The financial institutions exhibited to have a positive and significant impact on ecology. Economic growth displayed negative effects on environmental degradation and a positive influence on CO2. Additionally, there is significant evidence for the validity of the EKC hypothesis. Unidirectional causality exists between ecological footprint, LPG, financial market, and economic growth. The financial institution index shows bidirectional causality with the ecological footprint. There is also unidirectional causality between ecological footprint, LPG, financial market, and economic growth. Furthermore, the financial institutions' index shows a bidirectional causality with the ecological footprint. Also, economic development and financial institution index have a bidirectional relationship with CO2 emissions. On the other hand, the financial market index showed unidirectional causality with CO2 emissions. In short, our study highlights the need for a comprehensive and integrated approach to sustainable development in BRICS - T countries. Policymakers must balance economic growth with environmental protection and consider the potential trade-offs between policy options to promote sustainable and inclusive development.

Testing the effectiveness of household fuel conservation strategies: Policy implications for increasing the affordability of exclusive clean cooking

BackgroundExclusive clean fuel use is essential for realizing health and other benefits but is often unaffordable. Decreasing household-level fuel needs could make exclusive clean fuel use more affordable, but there is a lack of knowledge on the amount of fuel savings that could be achieved through fuel conservation behaviors relevant to rural settings in low- and middle-income countries. MethodsWithin a trial in Peru, we trained a random half of intervention participants, who had previously received a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stove and were purchasing their own fuel, on fuel conservation strategies. We measured the amount of fuel and mega joules (MJ) of energy consumed by all participants, including control participants who were receiving free fuel from the trial. We administered surveys on fuel conservation behaviors and assigned a score based on the number of behaviors performed. ResultsIntervention participants with the training had a slightly higher conservation score than those without (7.2 vs. 6.6 points; p = 0.07). Across all participants, average daily energy consumption decreased by 9.5 MJ for each 1-point increase in conservation score (p < 0.001). Among households who used exclusively LPG (n = 99), each 1-point increase in conservation score was associated with a 0.04 kg decrease in LPG consumption per household per day (p = 0.03). Using pressure cookers and heating water in the sun decreased energy use, while using clay pots and forgetting to close stove knobs increased energy use. ConclusionOur findings suggest that a household could save 1.16 kg of LPG per month for each additional fuel conservation behavior, for a maximum potential savings of 8.1 kg per month. Fuel conservation messaging could be integrated into national household energy policies to increase the affordability of exclusive clean fuel use, and subsequently achieve the environmental and health benefits that could accompany such a transition.

Direct and indirect air pollutant reductions as co-benefits of the energy transition toward carbon-neutrality in India's residential sector

With increasing air pollution, exposure to air pollutants is becoming a critical health and environmental issue all over the world. In case of India, due to significant differences in the economic status and energy consumption characteristics, substantial variation in the air pollutant emissions is observed across Indian states in urban and rural areas. This study aims at developing a residential sector model to project CO2 emissions up to 2070, leading India's progress towards carbon-neutrality, and evaluating the dual benefits of reducing the aforesaid emissions. A bottom-up optimization model is used to analyze these emission projections for greenhouse gases (GHGs) and air pollutants across Indian states in rural and urban areas. Further, to evaluate the effects of Indian government policy, various mitigation scenarios are analyzed, which capture the energy transition and direct and indirect emissions in India's slow, medium, and fast-developing states. Rapid energy transition in India doubles the total energy consumption in the business-as-usual (BAU) scenario from 2010 to 2070. Consumption of traditional biomass and coal energy sources dramatically falls, and advanced energy sources such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and electricity are adopted. Energy transitions help decrease the vulnerability to harmful direct air pollutants such as black carbon (BC), organic carbon (OC) and particulate matter (PM) among rural households. There are serious tradeoffs, however, as increased usage of LPG and electricity may raise total CO2, SO2, and NOX emissions. Higher LPG consumption leads to a more than two-fold increase in CO2 emissions by 2070, compared to 2020 in residential sector. By pursuing carbon-neutrality through a renewable electricity transition, the most ambitious scenario in this study, India could reduce CO2, SO2, NOX, and BC emissions by 67%, 87%, 89%, and 99%, respectively, from the 2070 BAU levels.

Analysis of household LPG demand elasticity in Cameroon and policy implications

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is rapidly becoming a key part of Cameroon's energy mix, with enormous future potential. However, there are still many uncertainties about the extent of its potential market, which has so far often led to supply shortages. These shortages therefore constitute a major obstacle to the objective of promoting LPG as the main fuel in Cameroonian households. Accordingly, the short and long-run elasticities of LPG consumption in Cameroon are investigated in this work. This work uses annual time series data from 1994 to 2017. A basic model and four alternative specifications are used. Mid-run price and income elasticities of LPG consumption are found to be between −0.330 and −0.401, and, 0.159 and 0.569, respectively. Of all the five models, the error correction model is the most robust and the elasticities estimates reveal that price, income and urbanization are important determinants of LPG consumption in Cameroon. These results are consistent with those given by the other models, and in line with previous research on developing countries whose economic and demographic situation is similar to that of Cameroon. These results have serious implications on demand side management and calls for policy makers to promote widespread use of LPG especially in the savannah zone in order to reduce deforestation and overdependence on biomass.

Marketing Strategy to Increase Sales for Distributor Liquefied Petroleum Gas Company (Case Study: PT. Lembang Abadi Indah)

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) demand has increased every year since the government implemented a policy to convert kerosene to gas. It continues to increase in the last 10 (ten) years. from 2011-2021. Increases in LPG consumption signifies that public demand is getting higher, in industrial, commercial and household sectors. However, PT. Lembang Abadi Indah does not benefit from this situation in which the company’ sales volume continues to decrease. This research aims to identify the factors influencing this situation and develop the marketing strategy to resolve this issue. This research is a qualitative descriptive which data is obtained through in-depth interview and literature review. Furthermore, the results will be mapped with SWOT analysis, TOWS Matrix. To conquer this unfavorable situation, the company needs to focus on customer relationship, product diversification and business process efficiency.

How nonfarm employment drives the households’ energy transition: Evidence from rural China

Amid the rapid increase of energy consumption, the air pollution and related health problems caused by traditional energy consumption have become increasingly severe in rural areas, and it is now urgent to expand clean energy consumption and achieve energy upgrades. Nonfarm employment can significantly raise rural residents’ incomes, which can then affect the available energy consumption choices. However, whether nonfarm employment can promote the transition of energy consumption and its potential influencing mechanisms must be further studied. Based on 2018 survey data on energy consumption in rural China, a cross-sectional regression method with instrumental variables is used to explore the effect of nonfarm employment on energy consumption. The results demonstrate that nonfarm employment has a significantly positive impact on energy efficiency and effective energy consumption per capita, but no significant impact is found on total energy consumption per capita. Specifically, nonfarm employment increases electricity, natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas consumption, and reduces coal and biomass energy consumption. Nonfarm employment can affect household energy consumption in rural areas through income, demonstration, and labor effects. Income effect indicates that when nonfarm income increases by 1%, energy efficiency significantly increases by 0.108%, and effective energy consumption per capita significantly increases by 0.074%. Demonstration effect indicates that nonfarm employment outside the county significantly improves energy efficiency. Labor effect indicating that the threshold values of nonfarm employment time on energy efficiency and effective energy consumption are 10.278 standard working months and 11.367 standard working months. The research shows that nonfarm employment plays an important role in the clean and efficient transformation of energy in rural areas.

Cooling effect characteristic of the novel half-cycle refrigeration system on a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fueled vehicle

• An experimental investigation of the harvested cooling effect in LPG-fueled vehicles was studied. • The cooling effect is calculated by considering the mixing ratio of water vapor in air. • Half-cycle refrigeration system contributes to the total engine efficiency of the vehicle. • EER of up to 21.06 was obtained by comparing the cooling effect ( q ̇ a ) and blower power ( w ̇ b ). This paper reports on the experimental investigation of the cooling effect harvested in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)-fueled vehicles. The heat required to vaporize the LPG in a vaporizer, which was originally transferred by the engine coolant, was replaced by air flow. The fuel line was modified by adding an evaporator equipped with an expansion valve between the LPG tank and regulator. The no-load tests were carried out on a Daihatsu 1945 cc engine at 1000, 2000, and 3000 rpm with three different levels of air mass flow rate obtained through the setting of the electric blower switch. The LPG consumption was determined by the engine load instead of being regulated by an external valve. By considering the air temperature and humidity mixing ratio ( X ), a cooling effect of 0.89 kJ‧s −1 was achieved at an LPG mass flow rate of 0.407 g‧s −1 . This represents the fuel consumption of a 1495 cc engine at 3000 rpm and reduces the temperature to approximately 14 °C. The energy efficiency ratio of the half-cycle refrigeration system in LPG-fueled vehicles was also reported, which ranged from 6.77 to 21.06 for LPG mass flow rates of 0.139–0.407 g‧s −1 and air mass flow rates of 0.049–0.062 kg‧s −1 . Although the cooling effect produced is lower than that of the primary air conditioning (AC) system (vapor compression system) in passenger and pick-up vehicles, it has potential as a secondary AC system when combined with the primary AC system through a hybrid system.

Assessing the feasibility of a migration policy from LPG cookers to induction cookers to reduce LPG subsidies

Several developing countries have attempted to reduce liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) imports and subsidies by shifting from the use of LPG to electric stoves. In Indonesia, the LPG subsidy reached US$ 4.9 billion and LPG imports increased to 6.3 million tonnes in 2021. Our study aims to analyse the feasibility of an induction cooker program in Indonesia to reduce LPG subsidies. Firstly, we calculated the energy equivalent factor of the induction cooker compared to the LPG cooker. Subsequently, we surveyed 1006 respondents with different electricity connection capacities regarding their monthly LPG consumption and perceptions of induction cookers. We found monthly electricity consumption for the induction cooker to be around 62 kWh to 235 kWh, depending on the customer group. Cooking with the induction cooker has a lower energy cost compared to cooking with the unsubsidised 12 kg LPG cylinder. However, for customers previously using the subsidised 3 kg LPG cylinder, the induction cooker program only reduces energy costs for cooking for the 450 VA customers. The LPG subsidy saving can compensate for the capital costs of switching to induction cooking within three years. Several policy recommendations are discussed based on these findings.

Impact of Solar Thermal Energy on the Energy Matrix under Equatorial Andean Context

Low-temperature solar thermal energy is a viable and mature alternative to reduce the use of fossil fuels for domestic hot water heating. The impact of the inclusion of this technology in the energy matrix in the Andean city of Cuenca, Ecuador, is analyzed. In Ecuador, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is currently used to heat water due to the high state subsidy, with a cost of 0, 11 USD for an LPG kg compared to the international price of 1.18 USD a Kg of LPG in 2021. Sustainability indicators show that the urban energy matrix would be minimally affected by a high penetration of solar thermal systems. The indicators that are positively affected are related to energy self-sufficiency, emissions, and employment at the expense of an increase in the cost of energy. Moreover, the analysis of the impact on consumption exclusively in the residential sector shows that liquefied petroleum gas consumption would drop from 73 to 64%, mainly because the liquefied gas is used in cooking. However, the change in technology is limited by the subsidized cost of liquefied petroleum gas, which makes the adoption of this technology difficult in the current state

Exploring Increasing Urban Resident Electricity Consumption: The Spatial Spillover Effect of Resident Income

The impact of average wages on electricity consumption among urban residents in China has generated many fascinating debates for scholarly research, but only a few studies have considered the spatial spillover effect of average wages on residential electricity consumption. With the use of city-level panel data from 278 Chinese cities spanning 2005 to 2016, this preliminary study explores the impacts of the average wage on residential electricity consumption. Specifically, based on the spatial Durbin model with fixed effects, three different spatial weight matrices (the economic distance, the inverse distance, and the four nearest neighbours) are utilised to check the robustness of the results under different standards. The results show that the residential electricity consumption of each city increased during the observation period, presenting obvious spatial correlations. Secondly, the average wage of residents had a positive spatial spillover effect, which promoted the residential electricity consumption of both local and surrounding cities. Thirdly, the population density, electricity intensity, educational level of urban residents, and per capita household liquefied petroleum gas consumption in urban areas are key factors influencing residential electricity consumption. Therefore, improving the educational level of urban residents and reducing the electricity intensity can help reduce electricity consumption by residents in China. This paper also presents policy recommendations.

Widening inequities in clean cooking fuel use and food security: compounding effects of COVID-19 restrictions and VAT on LPG in a Kenyan informal urban settlement

Universal access to cleaner cooking fuels (including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)) is a key target of Sustainable Development Goal 7. Currently, approximately 40 million Kenyans rely on polluting cooking fuels (e.g. charcoal, wood). While the Kenyan government aims to rapidly scale up use of LPG for cooking by 2030, COVID-19 restrictions and a 16% value added tax (VAT) re-introduced on LPG in 2021 have likely hampered progress in LPG uptake. We aimed to quantify the effect of these economic shocks on food and energy security in Langas informal urban settlement in western Kenya. We further evaluated whether households most adversely affected by COVID-19 restrictions were more likely to be socioeconomically impacted by the VAT re-imposition. A cross-sectional survey (n = 1542) assessed changes in cooking fuel patterns, food security and livelihoods of primary cooks due to these two economic shocks. While under COVID-19 restrictions, 75% (n = 1147) of participants reported income declines and 18% (n = 164) of participants using LPG (n = 922) switched their primary cooking fuel to charcoal, wood or kerosene. Households reporting lower income while under COVID-19 restrictions had 5.3 times (95% CI:[3.8,7.4]) the odds of experiencing food insecurity as those with no change in income. Unemployment and food insecurity under COVID-19 restrictions were substantially higher among informal sector workers (70% and 60%, respectively) compared with business/government employees (45% and 37%, respectively). Following the VAT re-introduction, 44% (n = 356) of households using LPG consumed less, and 34% (n = 276) cooked more frequently with polluting fuels. Individuals switching away from LPG under COVID-19 restrictions had 3.0 times (95% CI:[2.1,4.3]) the odds of reducing their LPG consumption due to the VAT re-introduction as those maintaining use of LPG. COVID-19 restrictions and the VAT re-introduction disproportionately negatively affected informal sector workers’ livelihoods. A zero-rating of VAT on LPG can help alleviate deepened inequities in LPG access in Kenya.

The role of liquefied petroleum gas in decarbonizing India: fresh evidence from wavelet-partial wavelet coherence approach.

India is predominantly a fossil fuel-intensive South Asian country that has traditionally settled for higher economic gains at the expense of lower environmental quality. However, in the contemporary era, it has become essential for India to come up with viablesolutions that can enable the nation to transform its economy into a low-carbon one. Although replacing fossil fuel use with renewable energy sources is assumed to bethe ideal pathway to decarbonizing the Indian economy, achieving this cleanenergy transition involves a long-term process. Thus, the Indiangovernment should rather consider adoption of interim solutions to the environmental pollution problems faced by the nation. Against this backdrop, this study looks at whether enhancing the consumption levelof liquefied petroleum gas, a relatively cleaner fossil fuel, can help India reduce its carbon dioxide emissions figures andattain environmentally sustainable economic growth. The econometric analysis is designed as per the theoretical framework of the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis whereby the effects of economic growth on carbon dioxide emissions are examined controlling for liquefied petroleum gas consumption in the context of India between 1990 and 2018. Based on the findings from the autoregressive distributed lag model bounds testanalysis, it is witnessed that there are long-run cointegrating relationships among per capita levels of carbon dioxide emissions, real gross domestic product, and liquefied petroleum gas consumption of India. Besides, the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis is found to be valid only in the short run; however, it does not sustain in the long run since the economic growth-carbon dioxide emissions nexus is observed to follow a U-shaped relationship in the long run. Moreover, higher liquefied petroleum gas consumption is found to boost carbon dioxide emissions in the short run while reducing it in the long run. Furthermore, the findings from the wavelet and partial wavelet coherence and causality analyses also advocate in favor of promoting the use of liquefied petroleum gas in India in orderto significantlycurb theenergy use-relatedcarbon dioxide emission figures of the nation. Hence, considering these importantfindings,this study recommends that the Indian government should design policies for augmenting liquefied petroleum gas into the national energy mix and also adopt relevant green economic growth strategies in order to facilitate environmentally-sustainablegrowthof its economy.

Pilot-scale combined pyrolysis and decoupling biomass gasification for energy and metal recovery from discarded printed circuit board and waste cable

This paper aims to the design innovation concept of e-waste pyrolysis and decoupling biomass gasification in pilot-scale for e-waste recycling and metal recovery. The syngas product and exhaust gas from decoupling gasification were injected to the pyrolysis burner for fuel reduction in sustaining the pyrolysis process. Results showed that the PCB (printed circuit board) and WC (waste cable) materials had pyrolysis oil yield of 20% and 27.3%, respectively, and pyrolysis char yield of 48% and 42%wt, respectively. Single ring compounds were the major compositions of the pyrolysis oil. The main composition of the synthesis gas product was 10.91%vol (H2), 23.4%vol (CO), and 5.68%vol (CH4). The methane content of the decoupling process was higher than that of conventional gasification. Precious metal content in the PCB char comprised Au, Ag, and Cu. Metal recovery from PCB char and ash via ultrasonication was 83.8–89.8%. The combined pyrolysis and decoupling gasification process offered a reduction in LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) consumption (36.1–41.7%), and high energy recovery from the pyrolysis products (53.4–81.6%). This could save the cost of e-waste recycling by about 25.7–28.7% compared to traditional pyrolysis. Therefore, the combined pyrolysis and decoupling gasification has a very good potential for e-waste conversion and metal recovery.

Modelling of supply and demand-side determinants of liquefied petroleum gas consumption in peri-urban Cameroon, Ghana and Kenya

Household transitions to cleaner cooking fuels (for example, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)) have historically been studied from a demand perspective, with clean energy usage expected to increase with improvements in household socio-economic status. Although recent studies demonstrate the importance of supply-side determinants in increasing clean cooking, few large-scale studies have assessed their importance quantitatively, relative to demand-related factors. Here, as part of the CLEAN-Air(Africa) study, we examine a population-based survey (n = 5,638) of cooking practices in peri-urban communities within Cameroon, Kenya and Ghana. Multilevel logistic and log-linear regression assessed the demand and supply-side determinants of LPG usage (primary versus secondary fuel) and consumption (kilograms per capita per year), respectively. Supply-side factors (for example, cylinder refill and transportation costs) and the use of single versus multiburner stoves were better predictors than household socio-economic status for both the probability of primarily cooking with LPG and the annual LPG consumption. These results highlight the need for policies that promote LPG supply and stove equipment to meet household needs.

Urban residential energy switching in China between 1980 and 2014 prevents 2.2 million premature deaths

Urban residential energy switching in China between 1980 and 2014 prevents 2.2 million premature deaths

Achieving Sustainable Energy Security in Indonesia Through Substitution of Liquefied Petroleum Gas with Dimethyl Ether as Household Fuel

Indonesia has been facing an energy security issue regarding Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) consumption. The rapid increase of LPG consumption and huge import have driven the Indonesian government to develop the alternative for LPG in the household sector. Dimethyl ether (DME) is the well-fit candidate to substitute LPG because of its properties similarities. However, discrepancies in the properties, such as combustion enthalpy and corrosivity, lead to adjustments in the application. Coal is a potential raw material to produce DME, especially in Indonesia, known as the fourth-largest coal producer globally. However, the gasification of coal into DME brings a problem in its sustainability. To compensate for the emission, co-processing of DME with biomass, especially from agricultural residue, has been discovered. Recently, carbon dioxide (CO2) captured from the gasification process has also been developed as the raw material to produce DME. The utilization of CO2 recycling into DME consists of two approaches, methanol synthesis and dehydration reactions (indirect synthesis) and direct hydrogenation of CO2 to DME (direct synthesis). The reactions are supported by the catalytic activity that strongly depends on the metal dispersion, use of dopants and the support choice. Direct synthesis can increase the efficiency of catalysts used for both methanol synthesis and dehydration. This paper intended to summarize the recent advancements in sustainable DME processing. Moreover, an analysis of DME's impact and feasibility in Indonesia was conducted based on the resources, processes, environmental and economic aspects.&#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: coal gasification, DME, energy security, LPG, sustainable

Error Analysis of the Normative Calculation Method of the Exhaust Emissions and Fuel Consumption in the Vehicles Fueled with Gaseous Fuels

The methodologies for calculating exhaust emissions and fuel consumption, which are given in the normative documents, do not take into account the fact that vehicles equipped with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or compressed natural gas (CNG) systems are fueled with petrol after a cold start. When calculating exhaust emissions and fuel consumption of LPG or CNG-powered vehicles, it is assumed that they result from the combustion of gaseous fuel only. This simplification leads to an incorrect determination of the emissions and fuel consumption values, as the formulas for calculating these values differ depending on the fuel type. This article presents the results of tests aimed at checking how that factor affects the value of emissions and fuel consumption calculated in the driving cycles used in the type-approval tests. In order to estimate the error resulting from this simplification, the tests of exhaust emissions and fuel consumption of a vehicle equipped with an LPG system were carried out. The tests were carried out on a chassis dynamometer in the worldwide harmonized light vehicles test cycle (WLTC) used in the type approval tests. In the tested vehicle, the CO, total hydrocarbons (THC), NOx and CO2 emissions calculated with the normative method were approx. 7% lower than the values calculated with the corrected method. For this reason, there is a need to develop a measurement method that allows for a separate analysis of the phase in which the vehicle is fueled with gasoline. This will allow the elimination of errors in the current normative method of calculating pollutant emissions from the exhaust system and fuel consumption of vehicles fueled with gaseous fuels.

Development and testing of fixture to automate the welding process for hydro end cover plates

A simple mechanical fixture is developed to overcome the difficulties encountered in welding of hydro end cover plates with pipes using shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) process. This paper relates to semi automation of hydro end cover plate with pipe welding in submerged arc welding (SAW) machine for which the fixture is designed to avoid manual welding to eliminate cracks. Hydro end cover consists of a pipe of SA335 P12 grade material and a plate of carbon steel of higher thickness and it is welded manually. Presently, the pipes of hydro end covers are heated by Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) burner to obtain necessary pre-heat and the inter pass temperature. Due to higher thickness and faster cooling rate crack occurs at weldment. Manual welding of the Hydro end cover plate results in more LPG consumption, more electrode wastage, cracks, laborious and unsafe way of crack removal, and poor surface finish. Hence, the need was felt to develop an apparatus to complete the welding of hydro end covers pipes with plate in automated mode in SAW machine. Welding of hydro end covers pipes with a plate in SAW machine using the developed fixture eliminated welding cracks. In addition, cycle time is reduced by 76%, and saving of 480 kg of LPG per job is obtained.

Household Cooking Fuel Patterns in Rural India: Pre- and Post-Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

This article analyses the performance and limitations of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), a central scheme launched in the year 2016 for the provision of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) connections to Below Poverty Line households in the country. It shows that the scheme offered more than 80 million LPG connections and contributed to a sharp replacement of traditional fuel (firewood, kerosene, dung cake, etc.) between the years 2014 and 2018. However, a large share of these new consumers appears to have stopped LPG consumption soon after the distribution under the scheme. This is clearly evident in the huge number of inactive LPG connections which continue to increase—from 35.8 million inactive connections in the country in 2017 to 43.2 million in 2019. Though PMUY contributed to the increase in LPG connections, it failed to accelerate its consumption demand among the beneficiaries. Nearly ₹128 billion has been spent by the government in form of subsidies and around 70% of the PMUY beneficiaries have availed loans from Oil Manufacturing Companies (OMCs). If the LPG consumption fails to accelerate, these one-time subsidies provided by the government will fail to achieve the objective and the loans disbursed by the OMCs may turn into non-performing assets.

LPG consumption and environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis in South Asia: a time-series ARDL analysis with multiple structural breaks.

This paper aims to scrutinize the validity of the greenhouse emissions-induced environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis, controlling for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) consumption, FDI inflows, and trade openness, in the context of six South Asian economies. Besides, the impacts of LPG use on both aggregate and disaggregated emissions of greenhouse gases are also evaluated. Using annual data from 1980 to 2016, the elasticity estimates from the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) regression analysis confirms the authenticity of the EKC hypothesis for Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan. In the cases of Pakistan and Nepal, economic growth, in the long-run, is evidenced to monotonically increase and decrease the greenhouse emissions, respectively. However, LPG consumption is found to homogenously reduce all types of greenhouse emissions in each of the selectedSouth Asian nations. Moreover, in majority of the cases, statistical evidence of joint favorable impacts of economic growth and LPG consumption on the environmentare ascertained. Furthermore, the Hacker and Hatemi-J bootstrapped causality analysis finds causal relationships between economic growth, greenhouse emissions, and LPG consumption. However, the causality estimates are found to be heterogeneous across the different South Asian nationsconsidered in the analysis. The results, in a nutshell, denote that economic growth is both the cause and the solution to the greenhouse emission problems faced by the South Asian economies. Moreover, the results also assert that LPG can be a transitional fuel to reduce these emissions before the South Asian nations are ready to undergo transition from non-renewable to renewable energy consumption.Hence, the findings impose key fuel-diversification policy implicationsfor the South Asian governments.