The use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) has increased fiftyfold in the past five years, an official has said.
National Oil Infrastructure Company of Zimbabwe (NOIC) Board Chairperson, Daniel Mckenzie attributed the exponential rise in LP gas consumption to a deliberate policy thrust to improve supply chains of the commodity. Said Mckenzie:
In 2017, the national LPG consumption stood at just 1 million kilograms, but this has increased to 50 million kilograms to date and this is attributable to a deliberate policy thrust to improve supply chains of the commodity including building capacity of infrastructure…
The Parastatal has plans to build more storage facilities in anticipation of further increased demand rises in the upcoming year.
This is in line with our strategic thrust to safeguard the country’s energy supply as the economy is expected to grow.
Increased LPG usage in Zimbabwe is also attributable to load shedding which has become part of daily life for Zimbabweans.
Due to unscheduled power cuts, most households especially in urban areas have resorted to the use of LPG for cooking and heating.
While diesel and petrol are now readily available at fuel service stations, the products are being sold exclusively in foreign currency.
More: Pindula News