• Ghana plans ban on imported LPG cylinders to boost local manufacturing
• Government upgrading state-owned Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company
• Policy supports shift to cleaner cooking fuel and domestic gas market

Ghana plans to ban imports of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders used in households, Energy and Green Transition Minister John Abdulai Jinapor told parliament.

Local media reported Saturday that the measure is intended to encourage domestic manufacturing of the cylinders. Under the plan, distributors would be required to source supplies from local producers. As part of the strategy, authorities are upgrading the Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company (GCMC), the country’s only state-owned cylinder manufacturer.

“We are on course to revamp Ghana Cylinder, and we are on course to retool it,” Jinapor said.

Modernizing the facility will require about $8 million, he said, adding that the government has already mobilized nearly $6 million to fund the rehabilitation. The Energy Ministry has also requested the withdrawal of certain obsolete cylinders, which would be replaced with units produced locally.

The government has also reached an agreement with state oil company Ghana Oil Company PLC (GOIL) to help distribute cylinders manufactured by the national plant.

Ghana pushes LPG adoption in households

The announcement comes as authorities seek to expand access to cleaner cooking fuels such as LPG in order to reduce reliance on firewood and charcoal.

Nearly 75% of Ghanaian households still cook with solid fuels, according to Energy Ministry data from the national LPG promotion programme.

The government aims to accelerate adoption of LPG through public programmes and cooperation with energy sector stakeholders, with the goal of expanding access to modern household energy and supporting the development of the domestic gas market.

GOIL plans to invest about $50 million to expand the country’s LPG supply, notably by strengthening storage and distribution capacity to meet rising demand.

More broadly, the initiative forms part of a wider energy strategy. In November 2025, authorities estimated that greater use of natural gas could reduce electricity generation costs in Ghana by up to 75%.

Abdel-Latif Boureima