Puma Energy Ghana has reaffirmed its commitment to energy supply and security through its diverse investments and state-of-the-art strategic energy infrastructure.
The investments aim to make energy easily accessible and affordable to Ghanaian households and the business community in the wake of growing petroleum products’ consumption, and include expansion of storage infrastructure, service stations and energy security and sustainability.
These investments, according to the oil marketing company, are more important than ever as the economy recovers from COVID-19; whereby increased economic activity, growth and expansion are expected.
Since 2000, the final consumption of petroleum products tripled to 4,630 ktoe in 2021 at an annual growth rate of 5.7 percent. Gasoline and gasoil constitute an average of 36.4 percent and 51.6 percent of total petroleum products consumed in the country over the last 21 years respectively, according to the 2022 National Energy Statistics report of the Energy Commission of Ghana.
Data from the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) show that as of March 2023, a total 1,303,755 metric tonnes of petroleum products were supplied to the Ghanaian market in the first quarter of 2023 compared to 1,103,799 metric tonnes supplied in the first quarter of 2022. This increase in consumption of petroleum products reinforces the importance of efficient infrastructure in meeting the growing demand at a reliable and affordable rate.
The investments Puma Energy has made in energy infrastructure are key to addressing growing demands for petroleum products – be it gasoil diesel, petrol or ATK among others – not only for the Ghanaian market but also neighbouring countries including Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, as a total 23,472 metric tonnes of petroleum products was re-exported/transited to these countries in the first quarter of 2022.
Since it entered into the Ghanaian energy sector in 2006, Puma Energy Ghana has invested significantly in the country’s energy infrastructure. These recent infrastructure investments include storage terminals at the Kotoka International Airport Aviation and Tema Ridge depots; and Takoradi Terminal and Tema Multi Product Terminal (TMPT) – which in total represents some 174,000 cubic metres of storage capacity, contributing to fuel supply security in Ghana.
Puma has also invested in the first-ever LPG Bottling Plant in Ghana to support the country’s Cylinder Recirculation Model, aimed at combatting the dangers associated with poor handling of LPG.
Another essential component of energy security is making sure local people have the right skills to support the industry. Around 98 percent of Puma Energy Ghana’s employees are already recruited locally, and in 2023 Puma Energy is focusing on recruiting some of the best graduates in the country by holding recruitment events at Ghanaian including Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Ghana.
General Manager of Puma Energy Ghana, Zwelithini Mlotshwa stated: “A resilient infrastructure is a major element of sustainable energy systems; and in addressing that, Puma Energy Group has constructed storage terminals which have a significant impact on Ghana’s potential for trade and economic growth – and also enables Puma Energy to supply seamlessly to customers through its strategic outlets.
“While the investment in aviation fuel storage at Kotoka International Airport has significantly increased capacity and supply security at the airport, investment in fuel storage at Takoradi Terminal provides the first storage facility for petrol in Ghana’s Western Region,” he added.
These unique and timely updates and expansions to the existing storage infrastructure terminals and systems have essentially guaranteed an integrated supply chain that ensures affordable oil products’ availability, and other refined products are efficiently and safely transported from new and geographically diverse hubs across Ghana.
Touching on energy infrastructure, Mlotshwa said: “Energy infrastructure must become more secure, sustainable and resilient. Timely investments in energy infrastructure are contingent partly on an enabling market environment, conducive policy cohesion and a defined regulatory framework that helps to maintain a level playing field among industry players and facilitate market integration. Others include incentives and reductions in bureaucracy that will allow more private-sector capital to be put into service in energy sector infrastructure”.
Mr. Mlotshwa also called for collaboration on energy infrastructure security and resilience to keep pace with rapidly changing demand and supply patterns, and to implement new energy policy and technological innovations. This, he emphasised, will enable producers and consumers to successfully fulfil their shared aspirations in respect of sustainable development and climate change.
Ghana’s energy security, like every other country, is dependent on both long-term and short-term strategies to ensure the supply of energy in line with economic developments and environmental needs, as well as the energy system’s capability to react timeously to unexpected changes in supply-demand situations.
“As innovation continues to transform energy infrastructure worldwide, Ghana’s growing energy demands beyond 2023 also require infrastructure modernisation and expansion through innovation, which will lead to resilient infrastructure and sustainable investment,” remarked Mlotshwa.
Puma Energy has increased its retail footprint in the country to over 80 filling stations, and has an ambitious growth plan to ensure nationwide coverage that will see it establish a retail outlet in every regional capital and major town.
Puma Energy is a leading supplier of aviation fuel (JET A-1) at Kotoka International Airport, and its extensive links with global airlines and its certifications to the highest international IATA and JIG standards make it the partner of choice for international and local airlines serving Ghana.
The energy giant’s clientele include several of the world’s leading airlines such as Emirates Airlines, KLM, Ethiopian Airlines, Delta, South African Airways, Brussels, Egypt Air, Air France and TAP Portugal, as well as reputable domestic airlines and several others.
About Puma Energy
Puma Energy is a leading global energy business, safely providing energy across six continents. Our downstream business segments include fuels, aviation, lubricants, LPG and bitumen. We have 1,946 retail sites (700 in Africa), and a network of bitumen terminals and we are present at 112 airports and airfields, including Kotoka International Airport in Ghana. Our purpose is energising communities to help drive growth and prosperity by sustainably serving our customers’ needs in high-potential countries around the world.
Puma Energy believes in developing local talent, with 98 percent of its employees being Ghanaian nationals. The company also continuously prioritises safety in meeting international health and safety standards and promoting best-in-class behaviour, which has earned it a positive brand-reputation in the energy sector.
