The Voice Of Arnaud Guichard, EVP Retail & Commercial, Vivo Energy
The Voice is delighted to speak with Arnaud Guichard, EVP Retail & Commercial, Vivo Energy, and a new WLGA Industry Council member!
The Voice: What are your hopes and expectations as a newly appointed Industry Council Member of the WLGA?
Arnaud Guichard: It has been a few years since our parent company, the Vitol Group, actively re-engaged with WLPGA, now WLGA. Joining the WLGA Industry Council, with Vivo Energy’s independent non-executive board director and industry veteran Selim Şiper as our representative, is a natural progression for Vitol and its subsidiaries, given our significant focus on LPG – both at the trading level and across its midstream and downstream ventures (Vivo Energy, Petrol Ofisi, Venor Polska, Varo Energy, Viva Energy Australia, VTTI, etc.)
By participating in the Industry Council, Vitol and its subsidiaries – together with our fellow members – will help set the strategic direction of the Association through the 2026-2028 WLGA Strategic Plan and make recommendations on the various actionable initiatives that stem from it.
TV: Can you tell us a little about Vivo Energy and the key drivers for the coming years?
AG: Vivo Energy is on track to become Africa's number one energy distributor. We have had an exciting twelve months, with the acquisition of Engen propelling us to the top of African business publication Jeune Afrique's TOP 500 ranking, and to number one in Africa's energy distribution sector. Today, we operate around 4,000 service stations, employ 6,000 people, enable 100,000 indirect jobs and manage over two billion litres of storage capacity across 28 African markets.
This growth stems from respect for customers, communities and the environment – and a passion for Africa.
- Respect for Retail customers means delivering a world-class experience to the two million daily visitors to our Shell and Engen service stations.
- Respect for our Commercial customers means bespoke solutions that evolve into true partnerships. For today and tomorrow, in good times and bad.
We believe that LPG is an important component of the energy transition and is becoming increasingly popular in Africa as a cleaner source of energy than traditional fuels such as wood, charcoal or paraffin.
A key part of Vivo Energy’s strategy is to accelerate the growth of LPG across Africa, and as part of this, we are delighted to have recently completed the acquisition of the Somagaz LPG business in Mayotte, in addition to forming strategic partnerships to grow LPG activity in Namibia and La Réunion.
TV: What do you believe are the key opportunities for the global market for the rest of 2025?
AG: As our market base continues to expand, ensuring the constant availability and competitiveness of LPG is crucial. The significant increase in LPG volume, driven by the U.S. fracking revolution over the past decade, has been vital in meeting these requirements. However, the recent volatility in LPG markets, with fluctuations in prices and freight costs, can be disruptive and is reshaping traditional trading routes.
The key opportunity for Vivo Energy resides in delivering the promise of LPG for Africa, particularly in clean cooking, commercial and industrial sectors, mobility and power generation. This is achieved through investments, innovation and by engaging with regulators and industry partners.
In 2024 Vitol and Vivo Energy announced their intention to invest $550 million by 2030 to pan-African LPG infrastructure required to facilitate cleaner cooking solutions in Africa – from marine terminals to the high-quality cylinders required for the safe distribution of LPG, and investment in clean cooking carbon projects.
Recognised international brands operated by Vivo Energy like Shell Gas, Butagaz, Afrigas and Engen Gas, just to name a few, are essential for driving our expansion.
TV: Reflecting on your membership with the WLGA, what do you feel are the significant advantages of your membership?
AG: WLGA unites and plays a crucial role in ensuring the long-term success of the LPG sector: it brings the industry together (events, conferences, webinars, workshops); it supports members in their respective markets (publications, return of experience); and is at the forefront of new developments (e.g. r-DME, regulatory developments). The WLGA team brings a wealth of experience, yet is approachable and responsive.
TV: Anything else you may wish to add?
AG: I would like to thank our 6,000 colleagues working across our 28 markets in Africa. Each of our twelve LPG markets is unique, presenting its own set of challenges. However, we have exciting market developments, events and projects coming up, all made possible by the team’s unwavering commitment to serving Africa and Africans.
