IFC announces $16.5 million in financing to improve access to clean energy sources

(Ecofin Agency) – In Africa, liquefied petroleum gas, which is a clean cooking fuel, is booming to replace other more polluting energy sources.

On August 3, 2022, the IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, announced that it had granted $16.5 million in financing to Zener SA, an integrated energy supplier, to support Togo in the transition to renewable energy sources. cleaner and safer energy.

Zener SA’s operations cover the entire liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sector in Togo. The funds granted by the IFC will enable the company to increase the capacity of its LPG storage terminals in the country by an additional 3,600 tonnes, but also to equip five future service stations with solar kits where LPG bottles will be exchanged.

« Zener has the only LPG import terminal by sea in Togo, which is currently operating at maximum capacity. IFC’s support will allow Zener to expand the terminal to continue to increase the use of LPG and help reduce the country’s carbon footprint. This, as consumers adopt LPG as a better alternative to biomass fuels“, explained Jonas Daou, general manager of Zener.

Promoting the use of LPG is a real challenge for reducing carbon emissions in Togo. More than 90% of the country’s population uses biomass, such as charcoal and firewood, as their main source of energy for cooking.

The country is a reflection of the sub-Saharan region where, according to the World Bank’s Energy Progress report, more than 93% of the rural population does not have access to clean cooking fuels and technologies.

Abdullah Diop