NW: Gas scarcity soon a thing of the past

Cameroon’s minister of water and energy, Gaston Eloundou Essomba alongside other authorities have officially laid the foundation stone for the construction of the Liquified Petroleum Gas (LGP) Plant in Bangshie-Bamendankwe, Bamenda, North West region of Cameroon.

During the launching of this project, Minister Eloundou highlighted that the North West region is endowed with a huge market but faces price inflation which is spearheaded by the people who buy from the filling center in Bafoussam and sell in Bamenda:

“The nearest gas depot from Bamenda is located 80km away and this has greatly hampered the usage of gas in Bamenda that sells above the regulated price of FCFA 6,000.”

Government’s vision of increasing the consumption of domestic gas in the country by 60% in 2035 cannot be overemphasized as the minister reiterated that the high dependency level of gas will reduce deforestation and create jobs in order to revive the local economy.

Still in line with the project, the President of North West Regional Assembly, Professor Fru Angwafo III has said the dependency of the population on gas is a means of preserving the ozone layer from damage, thereby reducing the harm that comes with climate change and global warming. The 2-year project will cost the nation FCFA 5.6 billion and will cover a land surface area of 6 hectares.

The Liquified Gas Plant filling station is expected to renew expired domestic gas bottles, fill gas cylinders and store gas. Authorities at the Hydrocarbons Prices Stabilization Fund (HPSF) has said they aim at constructing small plants at the regional headquarters. This has as advantage reducing the risk that comes with handling gas cylinders. The filling center shall include the following: 4 LPG tanks with capacity of 50 metric tons each, 1 fire water tank, 2 nitrogen and air compressors, 1 carousel of 12 stations, 1 generator, 1 gas filling hall, 1 product and fire pumping station, 1 maintenance building, 1 engineering building, 1 clinic, 1 playground, 1 cafetariat, 2 security buildings, control equipment and 2 weighing bridges.

According to the General Manager of HPSF, Okie Johnson, the plant will be the best nationwide after the oldest plant in Maroua created in 2005 and that of Bertoua created in 2015.

With a population density estimated at above 2.5 million inhabitants, the  Bamenda city council Mayor, Paul Achombong says the town has provided a ready market and its completion will to an extent stop the black market syndrome that has caused the region to be losing to these middlemen:

“For every gas bottle sold, the region loses nothing less than FCFA 2,000. This means as the prices surge in the gas sector, the region loses about F CFA 2.8 billion in a year.”

Mayor Paul Achombong further proposed that the Minister, Gaston Eloundou Essomba should also see into curbing water shortages in the region by constructing a 30 metric ton tank up the hills of Bangshie. He further explained that this will help in the reduction of the dependence of the population on water that comes from Mbatu and community water projects championed by sub-divisional councils.

The seven divisions of the North West, Bamenda I council and the North West Regional Assembly also received didactic material from Minister Gaston Eloundou and the General Manager of National Hydorcarbons Stabilization Fund, as part of their corporate social responsibilty.

Cameroon currently has 2 existing LPG bottling plants – in Maroua and Bertoua. The North West region is counted lucky to be the next for the construction of this technical unit in Bamenda, which will solve existing scarcity of domestic gas issues in this part of the country.