2023-07-09 08:08:20
Introduced in Mauritius in 2015, the gas cylinder made of composite material has so far only attracted one in four consumers despite the fact that it is much lighter than the traditional metal bottle. Made in Norway, it is indeed more expensive. Sister Island is the only one to market it in the region.
Harry Amourani with our correspondent Abdoollah Earally • Posted on July 9, 2023 at 12:08 p.m.
Soodesh is one of the few Mauritian consumers to have taken the plunge by purchasing composite gas cylinders. “I buy it because it is a canister that is very light and therefore easy to carry“, he explains.
The carboy is not really a novelty in Sister Island since it has been marketed there since 2015, but only one in four inhabitants uses it. Its higher cost is no stranger to it… Because the consumer must deposit 2,300 rupees deposit, or 46 euros all the same, to recover one. What discourage the most modest households.
And yet, its advantages are numerous. The first therefore remains its weight because this “plastic gas bottle”, as it is called in Mauritius, is seven kilos lighter than the traditional metal bottle. Count 17 kilos once morest 25 for the traditional bottles!
The main advantage of these state-of-the-art gas canisters is their weight • ©Abdoollah Earally
So for the handlers of Vivo Energy Mauritius, which has been supplying Sister Island for 33 years, this innovation is a real blessing. “We have 25 trucks that deliver the gas across the island and before we used metal cylinders but now, with composite cylinders, it’s lighter and we don’t have back problems anymore!”, explains Arvin Obeegadoo, Director of Gas Operations.
For the handlers of the Mauritian company which distributes these innovative cylinders, their lightness is a real asset • ©Abdoollah Earally
Another advantage of this bottle: it allows you to see at a glance the level of gas remaining. This is also one of the commercial arguments put forward by the company. “Lightweight and visible gas level“, can we read on the back of the distributor’s transport trucks.
For the handlers of the Mauritian company which distributes these innovative cylinders, their lightness is a real asset • ©Abdoollah Earally
The other obstacle, perhaps, to the purchase of these innovative bottles: the fear of an incident precisely because of the choice of composite material. But the supplier wants to reassure on the safety standards of its product.
“We will never have an incident with the composite bottle. It’s used in over 100 countries around the world, there are over 25 million cylinders in circulation. It is made in Norway and it is certified by all European standards, iso,…“, slice Ravi Ramjus, commercial director Vivo Energy Mauritius.
The gas cylinder made of composite material is lighter but still remains inaccessible for modest Mauritian households • ©Abdoollah Earally
Mauritius imports more than 75,000 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas each year. Some 80% is sold in bottles for domestic use and the island is the only one in the region to have adopted this model.
These bottles have another advantage: they are partly made of recyclable materials. It remains to be seen whether it will one day succeed in conquering the Reunionese market.
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