South Africa’s hospitality, manufacturing and automotive sectors are being impacted by the “serious and acute” shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as unplanned shutdowns continue in the local oil refinery industry, industrial gas and welding products group African Oxygen (Afrox) said on Thursday.

The Department of Energy and industry body, the South African Petroleum Industry Association (Sapia) confirmed supply shortages of LPG and bitumen.

Sapia said technical difficulties resulted in unplanned shutdowns, with a number of other refineries currently on planned maintenance shutdowns.

In fact, Afrox said some parts of the country have “totally run out of" product with little prospect of the supply recovering in the immediate term.

It added that the import of LPG presented constraints such as higher costs to consumers and limited inland storing facilities. “These issues make LPG imports a last measure instead of a first response,” Afrox stated.

While not able to provide timelines or when full production would be reached, the association expects the affected refineries to come on line, improving the situation.
 

To subscribe to Engineering News's print magazine email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or buy now.