Buying gas for domestic use has become part of most households in urban areas in Uganda. Today, most of the providers of gas that we use especially in our kitchens will supply the gas in a heavy container especially the 15 kg containers and above. The new gas cylinder by Shell Uganda (VIVO Energy Uganda) breaks away from from the default norm.
Not only is it portable, but also you can tell how much ‘gas’ (butane and propane) is remaining to your next refill because it is transparent. This is something the current cylinders especially those used in homes lack. This will help monitor or limit gas usage. We only hope we can have this whole process digitized and the technology improved in this are.
Transparent enough to monitor usage
The cylinder currently comes in one configuration with a butane capacity of about 12 kgs which is 3 Kg less the current model in its range. The light weightlessness of the new cylinder is due to the fact that most of the metal has been done away with in favor of plastics and other durable materials.
LPG cylinders are built based on a 3-part injection molding creating a cylinder that is safe, durable, solid and user-friendly. The composite LPG Cylinder is constructed with three different layers, each with its own function. The innermost is a seamless blow-molded gas barrier with a thickened connection boss. This is contained within a one-piece, filament-wound fiberglass load-bearing shell whose resin and curing produces a semi-transparent wall that lets the user see the cylinder’s volume level. The injection-molded protective casing has see-through openings and an ergonomic perimeter handle for easy lifting.
The new cylinder costs over UGX 300,000 and if you can swap the older gas cylinder for this new type. The cylinders are available at select Shell Petrol Stations around Uganda.
We hope other suppliers will follow suit and also usher in different cylinder sizes depending on the configuration.
