Rwanda constructs $32m liquefied petroleum gas storage facilities

Rwanda has started constructing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage facilities in Kigali to ensure a stable supply of gas for its growing population.

This is part of efforts to cut down the use of wood for cooking, an official said at the weekend.

The project, worth 37.7 billion Rwandan francs (about $32 million), in the Gasabo district. The Government hopes to complete the project by mid-2025.

“The first storage facility will be ready within a year,” said Jean Gashumba who is in charge of the project.

“The construction of three storage facilities will be in two phases.

“Once complete, the facilities will have the capacity to store 17.1 million litres of gas,” Gashumba told reporters in Kigali.

The government, in partnership with a private company, is funded the project, according to the official.

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The new facilities are expected to stabilise cooking gas prices in the country, according to Rwandan Minister of Infrastructure, Ernest Nsabimana.

According to the ministry, Rwanda has the capacity to store less than 14 days’ worth of gas.

However, the new facilities will ensure cooking gas reserves that can last for roughly three months.

The LPG consumption in the country stands at about 3.5 million kilograms per month.

Results of the Rwanda national population and housing census, conducted in 2022, showed that 76 per cent of households still used firewood for cooking while 17 per cent used charcoal.

The government envisages reducing the reliance on wood fuel for cooking to 42 per cent by 2024. (Xinhua)