September 19, 2018: Sheila May Zenith Coop Consultant (left) and Fe Potestas Board of Director and Secretary of Philippine Ecogas Producers Cooperative show the LPG Cannisters during the CFBJ fellowship at City Sports.
(CDN photo/ Lito Tecson)
A cooperative is targeting the three million Cebuanos, who prefer to use smaller cylinders like refilled butane canisters to regular LPG tanks, with the launch of its newest offering to the market — refillable stainless steel cylinders that can safely hold liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
These safe alternative cylinders to the illegally LPG-refilled butane canisters would soon be available in Cebu, said Philippine Eco-Gas Producers Cooperative (PEPC) Consultant Sheila May Zenith during the launch on Wednesday.
The PEPC is the cooperative offering these new cylinders to the market in the coming months.
These new products are also called the PEPC LPG cylinders.
Zenith said that they were hoping to be able to widely market the product in the coming months so that it will be available to consumers, especially low income earners.
She said that based on their studies, three million Cebuanos prefer to use the smaller cylinders like the butane canisters to regular LPG tanks because of its affordability.
“We will make sure the PEPC will be available soon. We won’t limit to only 30 distributors, we will flood the market with our products so consumers can have it,” she said during their product launch at the City Sports Club.
DOE certified
PEPC LPG cylinders have been certified by both the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The use of welded stainless steel cylinders for this product ensures that it can carry LPG without the possibility of bursting and causing fires.
Currently, most low-income people are using LPG refilled into empty butane canisters which are designed for single use only.
These butane canisters are made only of tin can, which the DOE has repeatedly warned is harmful as it is not designed to hold LPG.
The PEPC was formed in February 2017.
“By having this PEPC gas cylinders in the market, it won’t be difficult for our consumers to use safe, convenient, and affordable LPG,” said Zenith, on the millions of Cebuano users of butane refilled canisters for their cooking stove.
Refilled
PEPC gas can also be refilled several times in different authorized distributors and refillers. These would then be checked of quality assurance to make sure there are no damage to the can and that it can still be refilled.
The PEPC gas can fit in the regular butane stoves.
Apart from the growing market need for smaller LPG sources, Zenith said they decided to develop the product in order to legalize this new market segment.
One PEPC canister will cost P285. Refills will be only at P35.
Safe alternatives
In a statement, DOE Visayas Field Office (VFO) Director Saul Gonzales said PEPC’s cylinders are safe alternatives.
“Kining sa PEPC, mao man ni ang una nga mobaligya sa Pilipinas, kini gyud ang paliton sa katawhan imbis atong butane canisters. Ilisan na nila sama aning cylinders sa Philippine Eco-Gas. It’s a safe alternative,” he said.
(PEPC will be the first manufacturer of this kind of product. The people should patronize this product instead of the butane canisters. They should replace it with the cylinders of Philippine Eco-Gas.)
He added that PEPC has applied for a Standards Compliance Certification from the DOE on their product.
Gonzales also pointed out that the stainless steel material of the PEPC canisters can withstand the pressure of LPG.
Butane canisters
Butane canisters which are made of tin, cannot hold the pressure of LPG which could cause combustion, he said.
Several causes of house fires in Cebu have been traced to butane canisters exploding.