MechChem Africa March-April 2024

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Puma Energy Ghana, a leading energy company, has reiterated its commitment to enabling access to energy and specifically clean cooking solutions as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, Michael S. Regan, visited its affiliate LPG (liquified petroleum gas) bottling facility. Enabling Energy Access for Clean Cooking

On a tour of the LPG bottling facility are, from left: Perry C.K Okudzeto, National Petroleum Authority (NPA); Samira Bawumia, The Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana; Zwelithini Mlotshwa, Puma Energy Ghana; Michael Regan, US EPA; Virginia Palmer, US Ambassador to Ghana; and Derrick Johnson of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People.

A recent visit attended by Michael S. Regan, the Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana, Her Excellency Samira Bawumia and US Ambas sador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer, aimed at familiarising them with Puma Energy Ghana's LPG operations and the important role they play in enabling access to LPG in Ghana. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), in sub-Saharan Africa, where an estimated 970-million people lack access to clean cooking fuels and technologies, LPG plays a vital role in the energy mix. Many households rely on solid fuels such as wood and charcoal, or kerosene, leading to envi ronmental and health hazards. Household air pollution, predominantly from cooking smoke, is linked to 2.5-million premature deaths globally, while the use of wood also contributes to deforestation. Puma Energy provides safe, reliable and affordable energy solutions across sub-Saharan Africa, and is encouraging the transition to cleaner cooking fuels and solar power. Its commitment to enabling access to lower carbon emitting fuels is evidenced by the company’s recent acquisition of Zambian-based Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) supplier OGAZ, and its purchase of a 49% stake in MBHE, which provides renewable energy project development,

implementation and maintenance across southern Africa. Both acquisitions will strengthen Puma Energy’s capacity across its key markets. Puma Energy’s LPG strategy for the sub-Saharan Africa region is to ensure avail ability, accessibility and affordability. This involves centralising supply management; setting up mobile cylinder-filling plants managed by local communities to bring the LPG closer to the end user; and work ing with regulators to allow consumers to buy LPG in small quantities that they can afford – as they would for charcoal, wood or kerosene. During the visit, Regan acknowledged the importance of enabling access to sustainable energy. "Access to clean and affordable energy is essential for eco nomic development, reducing poverty, and mitigating the effects of climate change," he said. "Cleaner cooking solutions are not just better for the environment; they are better for your health.” Commenting on the company's commit ment to enabling clean cooking, Zwelithini Mlotshwa, General Manager of Puma Energy Ghana, said, “LPG is a safe, conve nient and cost-effective way to energise our communities; to enable cleaner cooking and reduce the negative impacts of burning traditional cooking fuels.

Beyond domestic use, LPG is a vital energy source for commercial and industrial ap plications, including in hotels, restaurants, hospitals schools, and shopping malls.” US Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer, emphasised the importance of public-private partnerships to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. “It is essential to invest in clean cooking solutions. Working together with govern ment entities and stakeholders, we can create positive change and improve the lives and health of the Ghanaian people,” he said. Puma Energy’s LPG bottling plant lo cated in Tema is a US$6-million, state-of the-art facility with the capacity to deliver 1 200 cylinders of various sizes per hour. It adheres to strict health and safety stan dards, ensuring the production of high-qual ity LPG for domestic and commercial use. The plant will enable the rollout of the Cylinder Recirculation Model (CRM) initia tive in line with the Ghanaian government’s agenda to encourage the use of LPG to at tain a penetration target of 50% by 2030, ensure safety, accessibility and improve energy efficiency. Puma Energy Ghana’s LPG offering com plements the solarisation of 10 retail sites and the rollout of solar energy offerings to industrial and commercial customers. It is also developing its LNG business in Ghana.

40 ¦ MechChem Africa • March-April 2024