Bolgatanga residents sensitised to cylinder recirculation model policy
The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has held a sensitisation programme on the cylinder recirculation model (CRM) in Bolgatanga, with a call on consumers of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to embrace the new policy.
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The Upper East Regional Manager of the NPA, Bashiru Natogma, who made the call, said the initiative was aimed at mitigating the risk involved in LPG operations, as well as increasing accessibility of the product to consumers irrespective of their location.
“This new model will also ensure efficiency in the operations of the LPG value chain and create more opportunities in terms of direct and indirect jobs,” he added.
Event
Mr Natogma was speaking in an interview with the media when officials of the NPA engaged a cross-section of LPG consumers in a town hall meeting on the CRM in Bolgatanga. It was attended by artisans, traders, farmers and persons with disability (PWDs), among others.
The CRM is a distribution system where a consumer brings an empty cylinder to an exchange point in return for a filled cylinder. Mr Natogma said the exchange points would be community-based to prevent consumers from travelling long distances to purchase gas.
At the moment, he said, some applications were being processed after which those qualified would be given approval to set up regional exchange points. He appealed to the general public to accept the policy as it would eradicate the hustle consumers go through to access the product.
The Head of Gas in charge of Commercial Regulations of the NPA, Obed Kraine Boachie, said the authority had started issuing permits to establish bottling plants where empty LPG cylinders would be filled for onward transfer to exchange points in communities.
“I wish to state that the capacity of an exchange point will depend largely on the size and facilities of a particular point,” he said and added that, unlike the establishment of LPG filling stations, one would not require a huge investment to set up an exchange point.
Reduction in explosions
An assistant programme officer of the EPA, Sarah Yakubu, said the new model would drastically reduce the frequency of gas refilling accidents. She said LPG was a cleaner form of energy as opposed to the use of charcoal and firewood.
“Undoubtedly, the CRM will help protect economic trees such as shea which is often cut down for charcoal production, thereby protecting the environment,” the officer said.
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