Households to Return to Charcoal without Reliable LPG Refill Infrastructure – COMAC CEO
Ghana’s push to shift households from charcoal to cleaner cooking fuels could falter unless investments in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) refill infrastructure keep pace with cylinder distribution, the Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC), Dr Riverson Oppong, has warned.
Addressing a public lecture in Accra on energy sovereignty and Africa’s role in the global energy transition, Dr Oppong said the focus on distributing LPG cylinders, without ensuring reliable and accessible refilling points, risks reversing recent gains.
“Distributing gas cylinders without reliable refill infrastructure forces households back to charcoal,” he cautioned, describing the challenge as a practical gap between policy ambition and everyday household realities.
Despite years of clean cooking campaigns, charcoal and firewood remain dominant in Ghanaian kitchens. Data from the 2024 Ghana Social Development Outlook by the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) indicate that about 77 per cent of households continue to rely on solid fuels, while less than one-third use cleaner options such as LPG or electricity. The slow pace of transition reflects persistent constraints related to infrastructure, affordability and public awareness.
Other estimates put the scale of dependence even higher, suggesting that roughly three-quarters of the population, nearly 26 million people still cook with charcoal or firewood. Energy and public health advocates have repeatedly warned that such reliance constitutes a growing environmental and health emergency.
The health implications are significant. According to figures compiled by the Clean Cooking Alliance, indoor air pollution from traditional cooking fuels is linked to an estimated 13,000 deaths each year in Ghana. Smoke from charcoal and firewood has been associated with chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, as well as acute respiratory infections among children.
Globally, the World Health Organization has long identified household air pollution as a major cause of preventable deaths, with women and young children bearing a disproportionate share of the burden due to prolonged exposure to cooking smoke.
Beyond health concerns, sustained charcoal use is taking a toll on Ghana’s forests. Studies examining supply chains feeding urban centres, particularly Accra, point to extensive deforestation in source areas such as the Afram Plains. Research estimates that charcoal demand from the capital alone results in the loss of approximately 350,000 trees each year, a rate far exceeding natural regeneration.
National assessments also show continued declines in forest cover, with charcoal production and firewood harvesting identified as key drivers over recent decades.
Dr Oppong’s remarks highlight a central challenge in Ghana’s energy transition: translating policy into practical, affordable access for households across the country. While cylinder distribution programmes have expanded, limited refilling facilities beyond major cities mean many families revert to charcoal, the most readily available option for daily cooking.
Energy analysts argue that accelerating clean cooking adoption will require a more comprehensive approach, including investment in LPG supply and refill infrastructure, measures to stabilise prices, and sustained behaviour change campaigns.
As Ghana navigates the broader global shift towards cleaner energy, the continued reliance on charcoal, with its well-documented health and environmental costs, stands as a critical test of whether national policy can deliver tangible benefits at the household level.
