CHANGING TRENDS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Bidvest Tank Terminals’ David Leisegang tells Tank Storage Magazine about the company’s LPG storage facility   Liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, is a clean-burning hydrocarbon, usually propane or butane, or both, used as a heating and cooking fuel. It emits much less CO2 per unit of energy than coal or diesel when burned and releases fewer particulates. Demand for LPG is growing around the world as countries seek to move away from more polluting fossil fuels both to improve the health of their populations and as part of climate change efforts. South Africa is one such country, and has plans to double the use of LPG within the next five years to more than 820,000 tpa. In 2020, the Economic Transformation Committee of the country’s African National Congress (ANC) government produced an advisory paper calling for the significant growth of LPG in South Africa’s energy mix. The paper, amongst other things, suggested that LPG and gas should be integrated into new housing developments, which would help to meet the government’s LPG targets and reduce peak power demand. Someone has to supply the LPG to meet the already growing demand in South Africa, and one company that...