RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Way ahead of the 2016 Olympics that will elevate this place’s glitter in the world stage, a delegation from the Philippines will share with their global counterparts here the country’s “free market” experience in the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) industry.

Department of Energy (DOE) director Zenaida Y. Monsada and Philippine LPG Industry Association executive director Mercedita Pastrana, who is also the president of the LPG Cylinder Manufacturers Association Inc., were invited by organizers to present a case study that shall lay down the challenges and opportunities that the country has been experiencing in embracing the policy of deregulation in the sector.

The two Philippine representatives will be joining the October 9 session that delves on “driving growth through good business practices”, along with LPG players in Argentina, India and Brazil. The conference will run from October 7-9 at the Windsor Barra Hotel in the vicinity of Copacobana and Ipanema beaches in Rio de Janeiro.

Despite the challenges, the Philippines clings on to belief that it will eventually overcome market hurdles, including the need to institute further safety and security in product handling. The country is currently battling scrappage of substandard LPG cylinders, and one that it has been lobbying fiercely in a pending legislation with Congress.

Like all other markets in Asia, the Philippines also experienced shortage in supply this year – an industry incident that shoved end-consumers in a fidgety state. Given such predicament, the country’s delegation is similarly auguring to learn from their counterparts ways to address bottlenecks in the distribution system so ‘artificial shortages’ in supply at the consumer level can be prevented in future circumstances.

Apart from unraveling deregulation set-up embraced by some countries, the LPG industry world conference will also discuss key issues: such as the breakthrough innovations in the last five years including the use of LPG in the transport sector; the distribution channels -- from the distribution system to the final customer; the safety measures in LPG product handling; the challenges of smuggling ; the range and focus of regulatory authorities and the various opportunities for LP gas in the future energy matrix.

The event will also convene the world’s global leaders in the LP gas sector, including state-run Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras) of host-country Brazil; Spain’s Repsol; Britain’s BP LPG ; SHV Gas of Netherlands; Shell International of the United Kingdom; Pertamina of Indonesia; Indian Oil Corporation; Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the LP Gas Technology of Japan.

Considerably a clean-burning fuel with less greenhouse gas emissions as compared to other fossil fuels, LP gas is seen as another critical resource to help meet the world’s growing demand for energy. It can be utilized for multi-purpose applications such as for cooking, transportation fuel, heating and air-conditioning and even for the lighting of Olympic torch.

Beyond the market concerns, the global industry players will also discuss sustainability issues of LP gas; the demand outlook for the commodity both on a global scale and the need of regional growth markets, such as Latin America and Asia.

Over the years, it was reported that countries like Brazil, Russia, India and China have been registering expanded markets for liquefied petroleum gas; and this is not seen abating especially with prospects of global economic recovery in the near-term.