LPG cylinder filling depot dedicated

Circle of Light - Energy to lift the world's poor out of darkness

Workers attach hoses to a tanker truck.

In late March, CoL’s first LPG (propane) cylinder filling depot was dedicated and opened for operation. More than 3,000 people attended the event, including Kenyan government officials and area leaders, John Coors and CoL friends from the United States. The new depot allows CoL to provide propane—used for cooking systems and Energy Store generators—at a lower cost and through a more direct channel to the communities. Previously, trucks would have to come from Nairobi, instead of the depot’s central locale in Kitale.

“The improved cost enables Servanthood and Light Development Foundation (SLDF) to sell LPG at a lower price, which then increases the sale of LPG,” CoL Engineer Mike Swartzlander explains. “This will enable SLDF to eventually become self-sustaining. Plus, purchasing LPG in bulk allows SLDF to serve more homes and in turn expand the scope of the project.”

Currently, CoL has one truck that is filled about five times per week and delivers the fuel and other goods to CoL Energy Stores. The new depot, which has the capacity to serve 200,000 homes, also includes warehouses and office space for SLDF, Circle of Light’s partner in Kenya.