Cameroon Expands Bonabéri Gas Hub to Ease Growing Supply Pressureb

Cameroon’s petroleum storage company, SCDP, is preparing a new expansion phase at its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) terminal in Bonabéri, Douala, as rising demand places increasing pressure on the country’s supply chain.

The state-owned company plans to build an integrated loading system designed to speed up LPG deliveries to distributors by both road and rail. The project was approved by SCDP’s board of directors during its May 25, 2026 meeting and is expected to take about 20 months to complete. The investment amount has not been disclosed.

The planned facilities include a truck-loading station, a rail-loading station, a new LPG pumping unit, modern metering systems, and upgraded automation and safety equipment. The project aims to address a growing mismatch between storage capacity, which has expanded in recent years, and loading capacity, which has become a bottleneck in the distribution chain.

SCDP CEO Véronique Manzoua Moampea Mbio said domestic gas consumption continues to grow and has increased pressure on existing infrastructure. She said the Bonabéri hub expansion will allow larger volumes of LPG to be loaded onto both tanker trucks and rail tank cars.

According to the company, the modernization program will increase daily LPG loading capacity from 1,000 tons to nearly 1,950 tons, a 95% increase. The facility will also be able to load up to seven rail tank cars at a time, compared with two currently, increasing rail-loading capacity by 3.5 times.

The project carries importance beyond operational efficiency. Bonabéri serves as Cameroon’s main entry point and distribution center for imported LPG. Any disruption at the site can quickly affect loading schedules, distributor logistics, and ultimately the availability of cooking gas across the country.

Its role could become even more important if part of the traffic currently handled by the Bipaga LPG center in the South Region is redirected to Douala. A temporary reduction in activity at Bipaga would shift additional logistical demand to Bonabéri and further strengthen its position within the national supply network.

The expansion comes as Cameroon remains heavily dependent on imported LPG. Domestic production covers only a limited share of national demand, leaving the country reliant on imports for most of its supply. This dependence has implications for public finances, foreign currency needs, and long-term energy security.

For SCDP, the Bonabéri modernization project is intended to achieve three objectives: accelerate loading operations, improve product traceability, and strengthen industrial safety standards for a highly sensitive product.

The company has yet to disclose the project’s final cost, financing arrangements, or detailed implementation schedule.

Frederic Nonos