China-headquartered liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder manufacturer Tianlong on October 21 launched its LPG cylinder manufacturing facility in Boksburg, Gauteng – the group’s first in South Africa and in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Tianlong previously imported LPG cylinders for South Africa and SADC, using a brand registered with the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association of South Africa (LPGSA), Tianlong South Africa executive business manager Nicolas Bereng explained to Engineering News & Mining Weekly on the sidelines of the launch.

Now, this $13-million (R200-million) facility enables Tianlong South Africa to manufacture these cylinders locally, with the facility ramping up to produce 1.2-million cylinders a year, across various sizes, depending on the demand for locally manufactured products, he said.

Speaking at the launch, Tianlong CEO William Wang pointed out that the group as a whole had produced over five- million cylinders this year.

He welcomed the launch of the Boksburg facility, noting its alignment with the group’s aim to bring manufacturing closer to clients to cut costs without sacrificing quality.

This facility also builds on the group’s entrenched footprint in Africa, with an established presence in Nigeria, Kenya, Cameroon and Guinea.

The processes to establish the facility started last year, when the premises were secured.

However, challenges were encountered in terms of compliance on certain areas, which required collaborating with the Department of Employment and Labour and the LPGSA to ensure the facility adhered to the required standards.

Bereng said the company would maintain its partnership with these stakeholders and welcomed participation from the industry at large, to ensure it remained compliant and continued to improve.

Tianlong is certified by the LPGSA.

The facility has already created 89 jobs, with over 200 positions to be sustained once it reaches full operational capacity.

Built with high-quality automation and safety systems, and boasting a dual-tech production line, the facility is expected to drive both economic growth and technological exposure within the energy manufacturing space.

Ekurhuleni Developmental Planning and Real Estate MMC Nomadlozi Nkosi said the establishment of the facility showcased confidence in Ekurhuleni as the “manufacturing capital of the country”, and enabled it to display its export competitiveness, with the facility set to serve South Africa and the rest of the SADC region.

Nkosi said he was hopeful it would be a catalyst for sustained growth of LPG in South Africa.

This was echoed by LPGSA MD Gadibolae Dihlabi, who underlined the importance of LPG as part of the country’s energy mix.

She pointed out that, despite being used in the country for many years, LPG had not reached the levels of other energy sources, owing to myriad factors, including supply constraints and incorrect safety and class perceptions surrounding its use.

Dihlabi called for LPG to play a greater role in the energy mix going forward, to mitigate the energy supply and affordability challenges that still persist in the country, and especially given that energy poverty disproportionately affected women and girls.

Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority skills delivery and quality assurance executive Robyn Vilakazi said the availability of a local manufacturing facility should bring down the prices of cylinders, which would help provide a source of energy for cleaner cooking, as well as heat for households.

Dihlabi added that the launch of a facility of this size and scale was a “major milestone” in the LPG sector, with this also expected to help reduce illegally imported cylinders coming into the country.