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400 KW hybrid waste-to-energy (W2E) plant to be constructed at Gyankobaa
The Centre for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development (CEESD) partners Ghanaian and German institutions to construct a 400 kW hybrid waste to electricity plant in Nkawie District of Ashanti Region in Ghana. The 6 million euro project was launched in Accra on Tuesday, 28 January 2020. A community durbar and sodcutting ceremony was also held at the project site on Wednesday, 29 January 2020. CEESD will engage the community, manage expectations of the community, deal with NIMBY and community participation issues, conduct surveys, design and size solar plant, monitor performance of the plant, among others. The project is expected to be completed by 2023 with a life span of about 15 years.
W2E Project
An agreement has been reached between Ghana and Germany to establish a 400 kW hybrid waste-to-energy (W2E) power plant at Gyankobaa, a town in Atwima Nwabiagya Municipality in the Ashanti Region. A grant of €6 million was given to Ghana by the German Government to commence the construction of the plant.
The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is the lead agency that signed the project contract with Ghana. The plant will serve as a pilot project and is implemented by the Germans together with consortium of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), Universities and other agencies in Ghana.
The project will be carried out jointly by University of Rostock, BMBF/Julich, Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Ministry of Sanitation, Ministry of Energy, West African Science Centre on Climate Change and Advanced Land Use (WASCAL), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi Technical University (KsTU), University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research and the Centre for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development (CEESD).
Impact of project
The German ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Christoph Retzlaff said, “the project was supported by the German Government looking at the indispensable role it would play in addressing the national developmental challenges of the country.”
He further reiterated that, “if the pilot project is successfully implemented, it will provide about 50 jobs for people in the Ashanti Region. Additionally, successful implementation of the project will lead to construction of 10 more replicate plants of larger capacity between 1 MW to 5 MW creating more than 1,000 new jobs and be a sustainable solution to the waste problems of the country.”
He opined that, “it would save about 800,000 tonnes of emissions each year, enhancing human resource capacity building and finally serving as high level research and development centre for students.”
Professor Frimpong Boateng, the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation noted that, the successful implementation of the W2E project would help managed the over 14,000 tonnes of waste generated daily and sees the project as timely.
“We involved the Universities, research institutions and all stakeholders to be part of this project so that skills learned would help the country build its own energy systems in a few years’ time,” he said.
As part of the package, two post-PhD fellows, three PhD fellows, ten Master’s students and 20 university professionals will be trained in area of biogas and pyrolysis systems to equip them lead and mentor other African countries in the design, construction and maintenance of such plants.
