building materialS
Gas cylinder filling
in the spotlight
A couple of months ago we received information related to the filling of
liquified petroleum gas cylinders in South Africa. Johann Gerber spoke
to Kevin Robertson about this very serious issue.
According to the Liquified Petroleum Gas
Association of South Africa (LPGASA) the
importance of liquified petroleum gas
to the country is critical. “With the current
uncertainty regarding the sustainability of
supply of electricity, especially in the winter
months, as well as the now confirmed increases
over the next five years, an alternative energy
source is essential,” says Kevin Robertson,
Communications Manager from the
Association.
The stance on the product is simple, “LPGas
is here and now; there is no need for any
time consuming and expensive research,
development or construction,” he says.
Considering that throughout the world, LPGas
is used extensively for cooking, water heating
and space heating, in domestic and commercial
applications, the assessment seems to be spot
on. To further support his claim, Robertson
says that the peak times for electricity use in
domestic applications are the early mornings
and in the evenings, when households are
cooking, bathing and heating their sleeping
and living areas. “The Department of Energy is
now encouraging the public to use LPGas as an
alternative energy for cooking and space and
water heating,” he says, adding, “Consumers are
also becoming increasingly aware of the benefits
of LPGas and the fact that, used correctly, it is an
efficient and safe energy carrier.”
LPGas is made accessible to South African
households through the retailers in the
44
HARDWARE AFRICA 2013