Against a backdrop of gorgeous mountains and a sprawling city, LPG Week gathered liquid gas industry leaders from all over the world in Cape Town, South Africa, this past November. The event included a lineup of educational sessions and panels featuring some of the brightest minds in the industry and provided a score of diverse perspectives on the challenges and opportunities we see on domestic and international levels.
Grand Opening
James Rockall, CEO of the World Liquid Gas Association (WLGA), kicked off LPG Week at the grand opening session. Rockall welcomed attendees to Cape Town for the event under the theme “Energy for All,” which highlighted the LPG industry’s “commitment to making clean, affordable energy accessible across the globe.”
“Today we really live in an interconnected global economy where LPG plays an essential role in energy markets from across the world, from developed to developing economies, from global south to the global north,” Rockall said in his speech. “We have delegates here that represent the industry’s incredible diversity and its global reach, but we also gather at an uncertain moment. Global geopolitics are unsettled, populism is rising and the long-term impacts on our industry are not clear — challenges such as climate change and the urgent need for energy transitions.
“Yet … our industry is resilient and it can be counted on to deliver clean, modern energy even in a crisis. … Consumption is accelerating in developing countries, especially in Asia, where governments have promoted LPG for lower-income households. And this growth in consumption is transforming lives, particularly through clean cooking initiatives.”
Energy for All
The opening sessions included an “Energy for All” panel, featuring several leaders from international companies. The panel discussion highlighted global clean cooking initiatives; India, for example, was at 50% LPG coverage around a decade ago and is now near saturation levels, according to Sujata Sharma, joint secretary of India’s Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. “During the last eight years, I must say that more than 100 million families have been added and have been given free LPG connection in India,” she said.
Biova Agbokou, vice president LPG for TotalEnergies, pointed out that it’s important for the government to be the first big champion of LPG as a clean cooking solution and to raise awareness on safety. “But at the same time,” she added, “I think that the private sector also has its roles to play, and investments in infrastructure and also investment in innovative ways of paying for LPG is very key. If you want to break these barriers of accessibility and also affordability, that is still a real challenge in many countries.”
Shifting her focus to Africa, Agbokou discussed what African governments could do to incentivize and boost the demand for LPG. “I think we really need to break the [cultural] barriers … Governments need to be champions to leverage and lift these barriers, saying that LPG is a safe and good solution for clean cooking. And they need to have a safety awareness campaign to trigger these cultural changes from traditional biomass to LPG.”
Fueling the Future: Renewable Liquid Gas Opportunities
The Fueling the Future panel aimed to discuss how renewable liquid gas can help the sector to decarbonize, move to net zero and improve supply security. Adrian Higson, managing director for NNFCC, spoke on the partnership between NNFCC and Frazer-Nash, two energy consultancies commissioned by WLGA to look at production pathways for renewables, specifically for LPG and renewable [dimethyl ether].
Higson outlined the results from the study, which showed the potential for 60 to 120 million tons of LPG equivalents. “This is an optimistic scenario, and it certainly would require strong, supportive policies and access to globally available feedstock.”
Feedstock competition across sectors, more so than availability, could be the most critical factor going forward, according to Higson. Greenhouse gas savings, based on European targets of 70% reduction, could lead to around 238 million tons of CO2 reduction by 2050 and beyond. He also shared there is potential to reach upwards of 200 million tons of renewable liquid gas.
The 2024 World LPG Challenge
This year’s World LPG Challenge featured the theme “Smart Solutions for a Sustainable Future.”
“The LPG Challenge is a great way to connect the industry with the young minds and game-changing innovations that have been developed inside and outside of our industry itself,” said Daniel Libralato, product engagement manager for Anova, a supporter of the event.
A steering committee selected finalists prior to the event to pitch their solutions for three minutes to the live audience. Three presenters took the stage — Alcides Marques, COO of SmartDispenser, who presented a solution for reinventing LPG cylinder exchange with vending machines; Hendrik Leuschner, advisor for TMA, the Hazardous Goods Companion, who showcased solutions for helping LPG companies more effectively manage inventory from factory to consumer; and Bilel Khlaifia, CTO of NextAV, who pitched an AI-powered remote sensing service to provide companies with intelligence about their extended assets.
After a period of audience voting, Michele Bimson Maggi of Ferrellgas, the event’s sponsor, announced SmartDispenser’s vending solutions as the winner of the 2024 World LPG Challenge.
Women in LPG Global Network 2024 Award Winners
Each year, the Women in LPG Global Network (WINLPG) presents three awards at LPG Week. Started as an initiative in 2015 by the World Liquid Gas Association, the awards include the WINLPG Woman of the Year, the WINLPG Young Woman of the Year, and the Field/Technical Groundbreaker Award.
Refilwe Sebothoma, founder and CEO of Hakem Energies in South Africa, was named the 2024 Woman of the Year. According to a press release from WLGA, this award “recognizes women who have proven excellence in leadership, influence in their community and shown a significant contribution to supporting diversity within our industry.”
Stephanie Anton of Ultragaz in Brazil was named the 2024 Young Woman of the Year. This award “recognizes achievements from rising young talent who have shown significant contribution and commitment within the business and [epitomize] the values of WINLPG.”
Thais Soares of Ultragaz in Brazil won the Field/Technical Groundbreaker Award. This award, launched in 2023, recognizes women who “work in the field, or in technical roles, where they have overcome the specific challenges of working in these particular sectors and who can demonstrate success working within an environment where women are significantly under-represented.”
Wrapping Up
LPG Week 2024 marked another year of gathering leaders in the LPG and energy sector, with the aim of putting heads together about the challenges — and the solutions — we’re seeing in this global industry. From free and fair access to clean cooking, to how renewables will fuel a sustainable future, and all the innovations needed along the way, the LPG industry is poised to continue its impact on clean energy initiatives around the world.
