July 20, 2023 [XINHUANET]- Rwanda has started the construction of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage facilities in the capital city of Kigali to ensure the stable supply of gas for its growing population as part of efforts to cut down the use of wood for cooking, an official said Saturday.

The project worth 37.7 billion Rwandan francs (about 32 million U.S. dollars) in Gasabo district is expected to be completed by mid-2025 with the first storage facility set to be in place within a year, said Jean Gashumba who is in charge of the project.

“The construction for three storage facilities will be done in two phases. Once complete, the facilities will have the capacity to store 17.1 million liters of gas,” Gashumba told reporters in Kigali.

The project is funded by the government in partnership with a private company, according to the official.

The new facilities are expected to stabilize cooking gas prices in the country, according to Rwandan Minister of Infrastructure Ernest Nsabimana.

According to the ministry, Rwanda has capacity to store less than 14 days’ worth of gas. However, the new facilities will ensure cooking gas reserves that can last for roughly three months. The LPG consumption in the country stands at about 3.5 million kilograms per month.

Results of the Rwanda national population and housing census conducted in 2022 showed that 76 percent of households still used firewood for cooking while 17 percent used charcoal. The government envisages to reduce the reliance on wood fuel for cooking to 42 percent by 2024.

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