Africa is facing a pressing need for clean and modern household energy due to its growing population. Currently, a large majority of the population, around 900 million people, rely on polluting and inefficient energy sources such as wood, charcoal, and kerosene for cooking. Many African countries are turning to scalable renewable energy resources like solar PV, wind, hydro, geothermal, ethanol, and biogas to bridge this energy gap. The International Energy Agency recommends liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as the most practical and affordable interim clean cooking fuel during this transition.
Although a fossil fuel, LPG is one of the least damaging options for the climate. It burns efficiently and produces lower carbon emissions due to its high hydrogen-to-carbon ratio. Unlike wood and charcoal, LPG does not contribute to deforestation or substantial black carbon and methane emissions, which are potent climate warmers. However, progress toward achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 7 for clean and affordable energy by 2030 has been slow.
To accelerate progress, the International Energy Agency proposed the Sustainable Africa Scenario, envisioning that by 2030, one-third of homes in Africa would use LPG, 10% would use electricity, 10% would use biogas, and 6% would use alcohol fuels. However, achieving even these projections requires a staggering increase in the rate of clean cooking access, around 15 times faster than before.
The affordability, reliability, convenience of supply, and safety concerns are important factors influencing the adoption of LPG. Additionally, resistance from influential donor countries and development institutions to invest in LPG due to its fossil fuel status poses a challenge. Support from these sources is crucial in creating the right market conditions for expanding the LPG market, including well-regulated cylinder re-circulation systems and improved storage and transport infrastructure.
Addressing the barriers to LPG adoption, the cost of acquiring LPG cylinders and stoves can be prohibitive for poorer households. However, the cost of cooking with LPG is typically comparable to other traditional fuels. Government policies such as reducing value-added tax on cylinder refills can help make LPG more affordable. Innovations like "pay-as-you-go" technology, using smart meters and mobile money, can potentially manage the costs for poor households.
A reliable and safe supply of LPG requires investment in businesses and well-enforced regulations. Adopting the cylinder re-circulation model, where marketing companies ensure the safety of their branded cylinders, is critical to functioning LPG markets. Many African countries are adopting this model successfully.
There is a need to overcome the reluctance of donors to invest in LPG due to its fossil fuel nature. It is essential to recognize that switching from solid biomass to LPG can bring substantial health benefits with minimal impact on climate warming and forest resources. Policy decisions should be guided by principles of environmental justice, considering that cooking with biomass is significantly more greenhouse gas intensive than LPG. The international community should support African governments in promoting the widespread adoption of LPG for clean cooking while progressively developing renewable alternatives to replace fossil fuels. This dual approach can help achieve universal access to clean and modern energy by 2030 without jeopardizing global warming targets.
Thanks for reading. You can support and reward my writing via:
Pay Pal – [email protected]
Algo - NCG6LBALQHENQUSR77KOR6SS42FGK54BZ5L2HFDSBGQVLGYIOVWYDXFDI4
ADA – addr1q9vfs6nqz4xmtnpljwhv4tukyskd2g7enxd87rpugkwwvfun5pnla5d5tes2mvurrc77e7837yd0scrfk063qlha8wgs8d4ynz
Bitcoin 3HbxyDXE9MhNQ8RqsirqgYvFupQzh5Xby2
ETH - 0x8982cdb97bd23f092f78a16a4fc93c5c4607a285
Seeds – vladlausevic
Skycoin – ZxjhWMJRbTNCRQzy5MekZzH4fhdWFCqBP8
Tezos — tz1QrRzkTAKuPKF8dmGW6c1ScEHBUGvoiJBM
