A campaign has been launched to give out 1 million Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinders and burners to Ugandans to promote clean energy and cut back on charcoal and firewood use.
KAMPALA | NOW THEN DIGITAL — In Uganda, the government has launched a campaign to distribute at least one million cylinders of Liquefied Petroleum Gas as well as burners to Ugandans, thus promoting the use of clean energy and reducing charcoal and wood consumption.
- In an effort to promote the use of clean energy and minimize the use of charcoal and firewood, the government of Uganda has launched a drive to distribute at least one million Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinders and burners.
- Uganda’s Energy Minister, Ruth Nankabirwa, said the government has partnered with fuel companies such as Stabex, Shell, and TotalEnergies to make this possible.
- She stated that the intervention aims to increase LPG use from the current 0.8% to 20% of Ugandan households by 2030.
- From July 12, 2022, Vivo Energy Uganda, TotalEnergies Marketing Uganda Limited and Stabex International Uganda Ltd will distribute the kits for the Ministry of Energy.
- Read also: In a recent interview, President Yoweri Museveni advised Ugandans who cannot afford bread to eat cassava instead.
Several fuel companies have joined forces with the Ugandan government, including Stabex, Shell, and TotalEnergies, in order to make this possible, according to the Energy Minister, Ruth Nankabirwa.
Nankabirwa said biomass has been heavily reliant on firewood and charcoal as a primary energy source for cooking, which has decimated the country’s national tree cover, adversely affecting the environment and citizens’ health.
Although the government has emphasized the need for increased cooking gas usage at the household level in the third National Development Plan (NDPIII), Nankabirwa emphasized that this has not been possible because gas cylinders are costly.
“We know the upfront payment for these cylinders has been an uphill task for many families. In a bid to support the development and use of LPG as an efficient and clean cooking technology and a viable alternative for a sustainable environment, the ministry(of energy) has commenced the distribution of LPG starter kits aimed at scaling up the usage of cooking gas in households,” she said.
During the launch, she mentioned that the intervention aims to increase LPG cooking energy usage from 0.8 to 20 per cent of Ugandan households by 2030.
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She added that the beneficiaries will receive 13kg cylinders and a pot for cooking in the distribution process set to begin this month.
In a statement, Nankabirwa explained that Vivo Energy Uganda, TotalEnergies Marketing Uganda Limited, and Stabex International Uganda Ltd would distribute the kits on behalf of the Ministry of Energy from July 12, 2022, onwards.
“We know that the upfront payment for the Starter Kit has been a bottleneck for many families to convert from using biomass to LPG, yet it is clean, saves time and is relatively healthier. These Kits will be given freely to deserving households not using LPG who will be required to pay for the gas,” Nankabirwa said.
Furthermore, she encouraged Ugandans to embrace LPG usage, stating that while it is not clean and accessible, it offers a higher heating value and burns much cleaner than other energy sources.
“LPG has a higher heating value; it does not contain Sulphur, burns a lot cleaner than other energy resources, and burns consistently, making it more reliable than other forms of energy. Increased usage of LPG will address the problem of continued dependence on biomass, resulting in a massive reduction of plant cover, which is currently manifested through prolonged dry spells that have recently been experienced,” Nankabirwa implored.
She tweeted.
It was my honour to preside over the launch of distribution of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Starter Kits. This is in line with the mandate of my Ministry: “To Establish, Promote the Development, Strategically Manage and Safeguard the Rational and Sustainable Exploitation….. pic.twitter.com/t5MzZOQRNW
— Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu (@NankabirwaRS) July 6, 2022
