On April 22, 2025, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, Cameroon’s Minister of Commerce and Chairman of the Board of the Hydrocarbon Price Stabilization Fund (CSPH), laid the foundation stone for a new gas filling center in Ebolowa, the capital of the South region.
The project, which is expected to cost CFA6.4 billion based on the terms outlined in a restricted tender launched by the CSPH in late 2024, will have an initial capacity of 220 m³ for the filling and storage of domestic gas. The center is scheduled for completion within 24 months, with an expected delivery date in April 2027.
These filling centers are designed to ensure that local communities can access gas at affordable prices. While the official price for a 12 kg gas cylinder is set at CFA6,500, the gas is often sold for up to CFA10,000 in remote areas due to high transportation costs.
Beyond improving access to gas, these centers – including those already built by CSPH in Maroua, Bertoua, and Bamenda, as well as by private companies such as Bocom and Green Oil – play a critical role in fighting deforestation and desertification. These environmental issues are largely driven by the widespread use of firewood in households.
According to the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife, Cameroon’s charcoal market is worth CFA17 billion annually. While this is a profitable industry, it has been heavily criticized by NGOs for its destructive environmental impact.