Ghana's new 400kW plant has been commissioned at Gyankobaa in Atwima Nwabiagya South Municipality in Ashanti. The completion of the 48-month project will help to ensure the conversion of waste to energy in Kumasi.
The 400-kilowatt production facility, which will be known as the Hybrid-PV-Biogas-Pyrolysis-Plant, will convert 12 tonnes of waste into bio-fertiliser and energy daily, to help local farmers access organic manure.
The power generated will consist of 200KW from solar, 100KW from biogas and an additional 100KW from the pyrolysis of plastic waste.
The German government (through the Federal Ministry of Education and Research) has signed a $6.5 million contract with four institutions in Germany and one institution in Ghana comprising three academic institutions, one research and development institution and a medium-scale industrial firm to design and construct a hybrid waste to energy power plant to treat municipal solid waste in Ghana. The plan is then to extend the concept to other parts of the country, by using this project as a blueprint.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said the new plant at Gyankobaa was a manifestation of the government’s efforts to pursue reliable and sustainable alternatives to hydro and thermal energy generation for the country.
He added that the project, which is the first of its kind in West Africa, would help close the communal carbon cycle by developing the value chain of the process with the production and utilisation of compost.
“The hybrid waste-to-energy project has come at a time when major cities like Accra and Kumasi are facing dire challenges in finding final dump sites. Indeed, the highlight of this project for me is the utilisation of municipal waste for the generation of power which could be the sustainable alternative for curbing the waste management challenges facing metropolises, municipalities and districts (MMDAs) in Ghana,” he said.
The project is funded by The Pilot Hybrid Waste to Energy and is executed by 4 German institutions, led by the University of Rostock; 6 institutions in Ghana, led by WASCAL.
Hybrid biogas plant is first for West Africa
