Ghana Plans 2nd LPG Plant to Accelerate Decarbonization and Decelerate Deforestation

During as stakeholder meeting to promote Clean Cooking in Kumasi, Doris Duodu, Head of the Bio-Energy and Clean Cooking Sector at the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition of Ghana, announced the construction of a second liquid petroleum gas (#LPG) plat with a capacity of 150 million cubic feet per day.

The main objective is to promote the use of LPG for cooking in replacement of wood or charcoal. Indeed, LPG produces less greenhouse gases than the burning of wood or charcoal.

As part of its #EnergyTransition plan, Ghana aims to push the adoption of LPG to 50%, up from 37% in 2024. The use of wood as cooking fuel not only emits carbon dioxide but also destroys forests which could capture the carbon dioxide. Moreover, prolonged exposure to smoke can also lead respiratory complications.

In addition to the LPG plant, the Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company will produce and rehabilitate gas cylinders. At the same time, the domestic demand for LPG will provide a stable market for the gas fields.

“Our goal is to drastically reduce dependence on charcoal and firewood, which contribute to deforestation and health hazards. LPG is cleaner, more efficient, and aligns with our climate change mitigation strategies.”

Head of Bio-Energy Unit at Ministry of Energy of Ghana Doris Duodu

The promotion of LPG for cooking is in line with UN #SDG7. It will preserve the forests, improve public health, and foster sustainable development. Recently, the Parliament of Ghana approved a GCD 1.2 billion ($77M) budget allocation for the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition to accelerate the decarbonization drive.