Household natural gas: Cameroon plans to import 60000 tons to avoid shortages in the second half of the year

On June 9th, EcoMatin reported that Cameroon once again plans to meet domestic market demand by importing petroleum products. The government announced through the Petroleum Price Stabilization Fund (CSPH) that it will import 60000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas in two batches, 35000 tons and 25000 tons respectively. The import volume will meet some of the domestic natural gas demand. According to CSPH's estimation, the domestic natural gas demand in 2023 is 150000 tons. At present, only 20% of the demand is met by local production (about 30000 tons), while the rest relies on imports (nearly 120000 tons). According to CSPH statistics, domestic household gas consumption continues to grow, with an average annual growth rate of 9%. From 2011 to 2018, the consumption increased from 67000 tons to 110000 tons. Since Sonara ceased operations in May 2019, Cameroon has imported all refined oil products to meet domestic demand. For liquefied petroleum gas, the National Petroleum Corporation (SNH) stated that a total of 34669 tons were delivered in 2023. These imports have imposed a significant burden on public finances. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of Cameroon, in 2023, Cameroon spent 39.7 billion Central African francs (approximately 69.09 million US dollars) on importing household gas. As the product is subsidized by the state to ensure that all social classes can access it, the government will allocate 43.6 billion CFA francs (approximately 75.88 million US dollars) for this subsidy in 2024, and 75 billion CFA francs (approximately 130 million US dollars) in 2023.