30th World LPG Forum wrapped up in Marrakech

© WLPGAThe exhibition enjoyed much interest from attendees

Key Facts and Figures:

More than 1,500 total participants from 72 countries

Top five countries represented:

1. Morocco
2. Italy
3. France
4. USA
5. India

The Exhibition: 117 exhibiting companies

Keynotes by the Minister of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development

The event organisers were honored to welcome Mr Aziz Rebbah, Minister of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development of Morocco who launched this exceptional edition of the World LPG Forum in Marrakech.

‘Fuelling New Markets’ Forum highlights

There were many highlights of the two and a half day sessions in Marrakech, but most notably the roundtable ‘Fuelling New Markets’ which covered a wide range of topics. The panel featured discussions on the growth potential in Morocco and Nigeria as well the potential for growth in developed, mature markets such as the US which are dealing with gradually decreasing consumption. There was a general agreement among the panelists that despite the challenges the industry faces there are reasons to be optimistic about the future.

© WLPGAMany words have been spoken, now we're looking forward to actions following

A Wide Range of Sessions

Other sessions on the Wednesday covered ‘Back to the Future’ where chair Philip Shaw opened this first session which focused on the future and what the LPG industry might look like in ten years’ time. It was noted that ten years ago the US was a net importer of LPG and is now the world's largest exporter, and so trying to predict the future has its challenges. The second session ‘Safety First’ indicated that HSE management systems are critical in environments of change, development and growth when the risks are always higher, such as the case of Africa. Panagiotis Haritopoulos the chair of the session stressed the importance of safety, referring to a new concept of “chronic unease”. Session 3 ‘Seizing the Potential’ opened the Thursday programme featuring a number of engaging presentations focusing on growth potential in different markets and sectors. From LPG for power generation in Myanmar, to ground-breaking communications in Brazil, to agricultural applications in the US, Autogas in Morocco and a whole suite innovative programmes that have unleashed unprecedented growth in India. The ‘Harnessing Diversity’ session studied aspects of diversity in the LPG industry. Final session of the day ‘Unlocking Africa’ was dedicated to looking at the latent potential that exists for growth in Africa. With discussions covering market conditions and changes in Nigeria, Cameroon and Morocco the session sought to understand what were the bottlenecks on ramping up strong growth in Africa.

© WLPGAThe Forum is always an opportunity to see the whole LPG sector in one place

The Global Technology Conference & The LPG for Development Summit

Among other highlights was the Global Technology Conference 2017 which took place on Tuesday afternoon and where cutting edge innovation was showcased. The 2017 innovation awards winning team: Begas Motor/Repsol and the two runners up: Envirofit and Kopagas were presented by James Rockall, CEO of the WLPGA. Also on Tuesday afternoon the LPG for Development Summit, sponsored by the Global LPG Partnership and supported by La Fédération de L’Energie, was kicked off by a rousing keynote by Rachel Kyte, CEO, Sustainable Energy for All and Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General. Speaking to an audience of over 200 delegates, Ms Kyte challenged the industry to reach the three billion people today who do not have access to clean cooking fuels. SEforALL and WLPGA have signed an agreement that makes WLPGA a Knowledge Partner of SEforALL to enhance knowledge exchange and solutions related the following aims: Heat Maps to Advance Action on Clean Cooking Solutions; Tracking Finance for Energy Access; Sharing Stories of Success; and Mobilising Women in Energy.

© WLPGAMs Paige O’Dell was announced Chair of the Women in LPG Global Network (WINLPG)

The World LPG Association

As for the World LPG Association highlights, this year saw the end of Mr Yağız Eyüboğlu's two year tenure as President of the WLPGA and the new WLPGA President, Mr Pedro Jorge, was welcomed during the WLPGA Annual General Assembly. The industry warmly thanks Mr Eyüboğlu's commitment and leadership. Mr Jorge, CEO of Ultragaz in Brazil, becomes WLPGA President with immediate effect and the industry welcomes him and very much looks forward to his tenure at the helm of the association.

Ms Paige O’Dell was announced as the incoming Chair of the Women in LPG Global Network (WINLPG) taking over the role of Chair of WINLPG from 1^st January 2018. Ms Paige O’Dell is Vice President – Operations of AmeriGas Propane and will replace Ms Nikki Brown who has been Chair of the network since it was set up two years ago and has been instrumental in the success of the network to date.

As the event drew to a close, we saw the closing ceremony of what has been an exceptional event and a warm welcome to the 31^st World LPG Forum in Houston to be held in October 2018 (www.worldlpgforum2018.com).

Your contact at WLPGA for the World LPG Forum is Esther Assous at eassous@wlpga.org.