Liquified petroleum gas (LPG)

This has become very popular for reliable heating and cooking.
Obviously the advantages are to have another energy source compared to grid power.
We all know the travails of Eskom but not of the supply of LPG. I gather that its price is determined by government but not as rigorously as petrol & diesel.
We often have gas shortages in winter when the weather gets cold but this is due to an excessive demand that happens infrequently.
However with the recent shortage I have heard from my local gas depot that SA refineries used to manufacture our own LPG but with as with other national government department’s poor performance we now import most of it. (citation needed!)

Looks like there are no petro-chem types on the forum to provide the low down.
As your amateur investigator I have identified that in the Western Cape the terminal in Saldana that imports LPG is run by a concession (Sunrise Energy) from government.
Vita Gas is a main supplier of LPG to the whole of SA and Sunrise Energy wants to redefine their deal with Vita.
Vita Gas said ‘no deal’ and pulled the plug leaving us shivering in the Western Cape.
https://bnn.network/breaking-news/interim-agreement-secures-lpg-supply-in-western-cape-following-vita-gas-contract-withdrawal/#:~:text=Two%20weeks%20ago%2C%20Vita%20Gas,constraints%20in%20the%20Western%20Cape.

Your OP does not really ask any question or open a debate. It is merely a statement. You cannot really expect any engagement with a post like that.

Perhaps but it’s a large energy source and it hasn’t got the press it deserves.
Although we all use these appliances in our lives it doesn’t even have a topic dedicated to it on this forum.
So where does one start??

So are you speculating that this is the next big “utility” to start failing (seeing that electricity and water has gone down that route)?

I know it isn’t really a utility, but since people are using it in place of electricity for cooking & water heating, it might as well be.

Not specifically. I’m as clueless as most people about where our LPG comes from. Even the gas suppliers between them give you a different pitch about what is happening.
Here’s Bruce Whitfield: WC gas shortage (seemingly) averted, despite importer terminating its contract

My LPG depot tells me that the gas price is not regulated.

Hmmm… The maximum price is regulated. So they can sell at whatever price they want, as long as it is not above the regulated maximum.

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Fair enough but does this maximum price vary wrt where you are?
The logistics are from the terminals at Saldanha, PE and Durban. These distribute to large depots in their area and then in turn to smaller ones.
The further you are the more middlemen there are each wanting their markup… :thinking:

Yup. The pricing table is about 2 pages long.

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