Plans are underway for the construction of the first cooking gas plant in Rwanda. The government of the East African country is currently collaborating with private companies to expedite research that would pave the way for the implementation of the project, according to Environment Minister Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, who also revealed that the facility might be operational within a year.
The construction of the cooking gas plat is partly motivated by the escalating cost of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). In March, LPG prices increased to Rwf1,400 per kilogram, up from Rwf1,200 in December 2021. And 12 kilogrammes of cooking gas now cost at least Rwf18,500, up from Rwf15,120 in December last year and Rwf12,600 previously. From February to March 2022, the price of one metric tonne of LPG increased from $770 to $920 on the worldwide market.
Scope and expectations for the project for the construction of the first cooking gas plant in Rwanda
The project for the construction of the first cooking gas plant in Rwanda mainly entails building an offshore gas extraction facility as well as onshore gas processing and compression units for CNG.
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The initiative might benefit 300,000 to 400,000 families who currently rely on wood fuel for cooking. According to Ministry of Infrastructure forecasts, LPG consumption will increase to more than 240,000 tonnes by 2024, up from 10,000 tonnes in 2017. Rwanda’s goal is to reduce biomass use from 79% in 2017 to 42% by 2024.
To meet the government’s aim of eliminating charcoal use by 2030, a total expenditure of $1.37 billion is required. Ernest Nsabimana, Minister of Infrastructure, stated that although demand for cooking gas has increased, so have costs. The feasibility studies to convert Lake Kivu’s methane gas into cooking gas are progressing.
Methane gas was once employed in many sectors, and now it is being converted into cooking gas.
