Confusion rocks Kebs over safety of another Lake Gas LPG cargo

MT Barumk from Nigeria offloads 11,474 metric tonnes of LPG at Lake Gas Limited Terminal, a 10,000 metric tons storage facility.[Courtesy] The cooking gas industry was thrown into chaos this week after conflicting reports emerged about a five-million-kilogramme gas shipment imported by Kilifi-based Tanzanian gas firm Lake Gas. While the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) was said to have rejected the cargo over safety concerns, the standards body later contradicted the reports, stating it had given the shipment a clean bill of health for the firm to release the product into the Kenyan market. Kebs, which tested the cooking gas shipment on Tuesday, reportedly wrote to Lake Gas on Wednesday, notifying the firm that the product failed to meet quality standards. This was allegedly on account of having the wrong mix of propane and butane, with Kebs further threatening to destroy the cargo if Lake Gas did not re-export it to the country of origin. Kebs, in a statement on Thursday, however, said the communication rejecting the cooking did not originate from it. The agency also wrote to Lake Gas, saying the cargo "complied with the requirements of the Standard in the parameters tested." It added that the cooking gas cargo is "hereby released by Kebs, and you are free to offer the product for sale in the local market." In the Thursday statement to newsrooms, Kebs denied having rejected the cargo. "Contrary to reports circulating online indicating that the Bureau has rejected consignment from Lake Gas Ltd, Kebs wishes to inform the public that the said rejection letter did not originate from Kebs," said Kebs, further noting that the cargo met the quality standard and is safe for use. "However, a consignment of LPG from Lake Gas Ltd was recently subjected to sampling, testing and certification as per KS EAS 1105:2025 LPG - Specification and complied with all parameters." An industry source pointed out that in rejecting the cargo, the earlier letter that Kebs has since denied as fake had cited the 2020 Kebs standard on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), which has, however, been replaced by another standard issued in August this year. According to the disputed test results, the cargo had too much propane at 24.2 per cent, which is higher than the maximum limit of 20 per cent per the 2020 requirements. Its composition of butane at 75.5 per cent also fell short of the required minimum of 80 per cent. The more recent standard on LPG issued in August this year - the KS EAS 1105:2025 Kenya Standard, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Specification - however, notes that "LPG for domestic use shall not contain more than 40 per cent propane." The new standard harmonises Kenya's LPG standards with those of other countries in the East African Community (EAC). A contact at Lake Gas said the five million kilogramme (5,000 metric tonne) cargo that the firm had imported was made up of "925 metric tonne propane and 4075 metric tonne butane, resulting in a mix of 18.5 per cent propane and 81.5 per cent butane." Industry experts noted that a wrong mix of propane and butane should be of concern for consumers and industries that use LPG, as it holds risks such as higher vapour pressure when the propane is too high. Insufficient butane, on the other hand, reduces the combustion stability, which can be seen in inefficient flames. This could elevate risks of gas leaks and even the rupture of cylinders during road transport, storage and even when in use in household kitchens and industries. Kebs had, in June, raised concerns about a different cooking gas shipment imported by Lake Gas, which was found to have inadequate mercaptan sulphur, the odourant that gives the otherwise odourless LPG a stench that helps users detect leaks easily. LPG is mixed with an odourant, mostly the chemical ethyl mercaptan, to give it the foul smell akin to rotten eggs to make it easily detectable in case of a leak. The firm later added the odourant and received a nod from Kebs to release the product in the market. The 12 million kilogrammes of LPG imported in June were the first that the Lake Gas facility had received after starting operations in April.

Confusion rocks Kebs over safety of another Lake Gas LPG cargo

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Confusion rocks Kebs over safety of another Lake Gas LPG cargo

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