During our recent business trip to West Africa, the team from Shanghai Luzhen SCM Co., Ltd. had the privilege of visiting SAPET Energy in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, for an on-site tour and business discussion.
The visit took us beyond our familiar field of LPG cylinders and components and provided a valuable opportunity to see how LPG is received, transferred, monitored, stored and distributed further upstream in the supply chain.
Getting Closer to Côte d'Ivoire's LPG Infrastructure
SAPET Energy is a strategic joint venture involving PETROCI Holding, Côte d'Ivoire's national oil company, established to strengthen the country's LPG storage capacity and security of supply.
Its development has included a 12,000-tonne LPG storage project, while SAPET has also operated MT SAPET GAS, Côte d'Ivoire's first LPG carrier sailing under the national flag.
These investments reflect a broader trend we also observed throughout our West African trip: demand for LPG continues to grow, creating new requirements across LPG transportation, storage, filling, cylinder manufacturing and distribution.
For Luzhen, understanding this complete ecosystem is important. Although gas cylinders are our core industry, every cylinder ultimately forms part of a much larger LPG supply chain.
From LPG Vessel to Storage and Distribution
Accompanied by the SAPET Energy team, we visited the coastal LPG vessel and associated pipeline facilities, gaining first-hand insight into how LPG arrives, how the transfer pipeline system operates, and where the product is subsequently delivered.
We also visited the pipeline operation and monitoring center, where we learned more about the control and supervision of the transfer process.
Seeing these facilities in operation gave our team a much clearer understanding of the journey LPG takes before it eventually reaches filling facilities, distributors and end users.
This was particularly valuable because it allowed us to connect the products we supply-such as LPG cylinders, cylinder components and cylinder production equipment-with the upstream infrastructure that keeps the entire LPG market operating.
Safety and Efficiency at the LPG Storage & Filling Facility
Safety was another important focus of our visit.
At the LPG storage and filling facility, the SAPET team introduced us to key operational and safety practices, including site safety requirements, cooling systems used under high-temperature conditions, safe filling limits for storage facilities and LPG tank trucks, as well as typical tanker capacities and filling times.
For our team, these details were more than technical information.
Understanding how LPG companies manage storage capacity, filling efficiency, temperature conditions and operational safety helps us better appreciate the real working environment of our customers and the requirements behind their purchasing decisions.
From Site Visit to Business Discussion
Following the technical visit, our team held a business discussion with SAPET Energy's procurement manager to exchange views on potential requirements and areas for future cooperation.
As an integrated supplier serving the gas cylinder industry, Luzhen's capabilities extend from steel coils, steel discs and cylinder components to valves, welding materials, LPG regulators, cylinder stoves, finished LPG cylinders and complete cylinder production equipments.
However, we believe that providing the right product starts with understanding how our customers actually operate.
Visiting facilities such as SAPET Energy enables us to identify potential requirements from the customer's perspective rather than simply approaching the market with a product catalogue.
Understanding the Market by Being There
Our visit to SAPET Energy was an important part of Luzhen's recent journey through Ghana, Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire.
Together with our participation in the West Africa LPG Expo 2026 in Abidjan, these on-site visits have helped us develop a deeper understanding of the LPG industry in West Africa-from import and storage infrastructure to filling, cylinder manufacturing and downstream distribution.
The experience also reinforced our view that Côte d'Ivoire and its surrounding markets still hold significant potential as LPG adoption continues to develop.
For Luzhen, entering a market is not simply about selling more products. It is about seeing the industry first-hand, understanding how our customers operate, identifying their real needs and continuously improving the solutions we can provide.
We sincerely thank the SAPET Energy team for their time, hospitality and professional insights during our visit.
We look forward to continuing the dialogue and exploring opportunities to support SAPET Energy and more LPG businesses across West Africa with our experience, products and integrated gas cylinder supply chain.
