Accra, Aug. 14, GNA – Xpress Gas Limited, an indigenous Ghanaian downstream petroleum company, has partnered Polygon (Beijing) Energy Technology Corporation to support technology-driven implementation of Ghana’s Liqified Petroleum Gas (LPG) Cylinder Recirculation Model (CRM).
The partnership is expected to improve LPG accessibility, safety, distribution and cylinder traceability under the model introduced by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) in 2023.
Mr Festus William Amoyaw, General Manager of Xpress Gas, said the partnership would enable the companies to apply technology and research to expand LPG access through the Cylinder CRM.
“We have been building the relationship between Xpress Gas and Polygon for the past four years. The opportunity is there for us to take, and we believe the relationship is here to stay and improve access to LPG across the country through CRM,” he said.
Under the CRM, consumers exchange empty cylinders for filled ones instead of travelling to LPG refilling stations, a system intended to improve access and reduce risks associated with transporting and handling cylinders.
A joint statement by Xpress Gas and Polygon said the NPA’s policy aimed to increase LPG access in Ghana to 50 per cent by 2030.
Under the partnership, Polygon will provide LPG Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, including
cylinder tracking systems and smart valves embedded with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), QR codes and barcodes to improve cylinder management and traceability.
It will also provide intelligent refilling dispensers and smart scales to enable households and businesses to determine the quantity of gas contained in cylinders.
Polygon will further support Xpress Gas in developing Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based systems through its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform to improve cylinder distribution across the country.
Mr Amoyaw said Polygon’s research and development capacity would be an important asset in advancing the partnership.
Mr Du YongFang, General Manager of Polygon, said the agreement brought together two companies with a shared objective of using technology and design to improve the LPG industry and consumer experience.
He said the partnership was Polygon’s first opportunity to undertake a project in Africa and expressed the company’s readiness to support Xpress Gas in improving its operations.
Mr Du said Polygon also hoped to deploy its smart dispenser technology at an Xpress Gas bottling plant in the future.
Xpress Gas, licensed by the NPA as a Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketing Company (LPGMC), began operations in 2009 and started piloting the CRM in 2017.
The company currently distributes LPG in branded cylinders in Accra, Tema, Kasoa, Assin Foso and surrounding areas, as well as Kumasi, with plans to expand to more households and businesses.
Polygon (Beijing) Energy Technology Corporation, established in 2010, specialises in research and development, production, sales and servicing of intelligent hardware and software solutions for the LPG industry.
Its solutions include smart valves, LPG IoT management systems and terminal business SaaS platforms.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Eric Appah Marfo