Industry trend 2026
The LPG market is moving fast, with new demands on performance, documentation, and long-term planning. In this series, we highlight the trends that matter most, from changes in supply and product blends to new approaches to efficiency and circular practice.
The issue of indoor air pollution from cooking continues to be a challenge in sub-Saharan Africa – a challenge that requires the dedicated involvement of both governments, organisations, and private companies.
Despite efforts to increase the use of clean fuels like LPG, the gap has widened in recent years as population growth outpaces the technological spread. A large part of the problem is a lack of infrastructure and logistics. This is especially true in landlocked countries, such as Uganda, where LPG must be trucked inland from terminals in coastal countries, adding to the cost of bulk gas and cylinders. There is a lack of gas storage facilities, cylinder filling plants, cylinder manufacturing plants, and more, which makes it difficult to establish efficient LPG distribution networks.
But this also represents commercial opportunities. These markets still have low LPG penetration, so even steady progress creates meaningful growth for distributors, terminal operators, cylinder owners, and equipment suppliers.
And the investment is now happening. In May 2024, the IEA’s Clean Cooking Declaration received backing from over 100 stakeholders and included $2.2 billion in announced funding commitments to accelerate access to cleaner cooking solutions. TotalEnergies announced its own plan to invest €400 million in the development of LPG for cooking. And the G20 summit in Johannesburg in November 2025 adopted a declaration to promote clean cooking in sub-Saharan Africa further.
The WLGA has also established the Cooking for Life Africa taskforce. This Taskforce consists of several major players in the LPG industry and is chaired by Natacha Cambriels, VP of TotalEnergies LPG and Clean Cooking.
These are just some examples of the increasing focus on LPG’s role in the region.
Globally, 4.3 million people die prematurely each year from indoor air pollution caused by cooking with unsafe fuels.
Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for around 30% of global deaths from indoor air pollution.
On average, only 42% of urban populations and 7% of rural populations in sub-Saharan Africa have access to clean cooking technologies.
Sources: World Health Organization (WHO), The International Energy Agency (IEA), World Liquid Gas Association (WLGA)
The demand for more sustainable sources of energy is rising – that is hardly a groundbreaking statement. The more interesting fact is that this trend is an increasing topic in the world of LPG. We now see a rising focus on producing LPG from renewable sources, as well as other renewable gases that can be mixed into traditional LPG.
Conventional LPG supply comes from natural gas processing and crude oil refining, but the sector is developing more renewable and lower-carbon options. Bio-propane (often called bio-LPG) has been produced for more than a decade, typically from refinery processes using renewable feedstocks – often vegetable oil – instead of fossil.
The problem is making enough of it. The demand for bio-propane is higher than the supply, which raises the price and makes negotiating supply contracts more complicated. However, the production is projected to grow significantly, as companies invest in new or expanded production facilities.
Dimethyl ether (DME) and renewable DME (rDME) also continue to attract attention. They can be blended with LPG in certain proportions, and, depending on the application, may be used within existing infrastructure with limited changes. One practical consideration is material compatibility, as DME/rDME can be tough on certain seal and gasket materials used in standard LPG equipment.
The World Liquid Gas Association (WLGA) continues to support the progress of renewable gases through initiatives like the Global Science Conference, held during Liquid Gas Week in Rio de Janeiro in September 2025, to help new solutions reach technical and commercial maturity.
