Litro has begun distributing 300,000 domestic gas cylinders to the market, the Company confirmed yesterday (23).

A vessel carrying 3,900 metric tonnes of LPG arrived at Colombo Port on 22 February, with unloading operations commencing the same day. Two further LPG shipments are scheduled to reach the country on 25 and 28 February.

The supply disruption followed an unexpected surge in market demand. To address the shortage, Litro Gas plans to release 100,000 cylinders daily, a move expected to gradually stabilise supply. The Company also confirmed that new orders have been placed to maintain adequate stock levels, with shipments anticipated before the end of February.

Meanwhile, Trade Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe recently stated that the Company expects to release a larger volume of Litro Gas cylinders to the market starting from 12 March.

Over the past few days, consumers across several parts of the island have raised concerns regarding shortages of both Litro and Laugfs Gas cylinders, with long queues observed at various retail outlets. Traders had previously commented that Litro Gas had not provided specific dates regarding upcoming deliveries.

Nevertheless, Litro Gas reiterated that with the release of 300,000 cylinders, the prevailing gas shortage is expected to ease systematically.