The West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use, WASCAL has called on the government to expedite finalising the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) of the Waste to Energy plant project in the Atwima Nwabiagya South Municipality Professor Emmanuel Wendsongre Ramde, Executive Director of WASCAL said the delay in finalising the PPA had stalled the plant's progress. A statement issued by WASCAL and signed by Nii Commey, Communications Manager and copied to the Ghana News Agency said 'while efforts have been made to involve Ghanaian operators, one of the major challenges has been regulatory delays, including finalising the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), which have stalled the plant's progress. The PPA agreement is vital for selling the electricity generated, which is a key element of the project's financial model,' the statement said. WASCAL's Waste-to-Energy (W2E) plant in the Atwima Nwabiagya South Municipality, in the Ashanti Region, has achieved significant progress since its inc eption, incorporating cutting-edge technologies such as solar PV, biogas, and pyrolysis to generate energy from municipal waste. This plant has become a critical hub for research, capacity-building, and waste management innovation in Ghana, driving forward the country's efforts in sustainable energy development. 'Through this initiative, young entrepreneurs have been empowered, crucial technical training delivered, and considerable progress made in plastic waste recycling. These milestones signify the initiative's importance in advancing sustainable energy solutions in Ghana,' he noted. The statement said a workshop was held to develop a comprehensive exit strategy that ensures the plant's sustainability while positioning it as a model for similar projects across West Africa. Mrs Kerstin Annassi, a representative from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the project's funding partner, commended the progress made and noted that the Waste-to-Energy plant will benefit local communit ies, businesses, and the environment. Dr. Francis Agyenim Boateng, Director of CSIR-Institute of Industrial Research, also emphasised the need for all partners to work collaboratively towards ensuring the project's sustainability, highlighting the importance of securing long-term success. The collective expertise and dedication of the partners involved foster optimism that the project will overcome its challenges, paving the way for a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future for Ghana and West Africa. The W2E plant was inaugurated in 2022 and currently houses a modern waste sorting system, biogas plant, photovoltaic solar power facility, and a unit for producing granules from recycled plastic waste. These granules are raw materials used in the production of new plastic materials, contributing to a reduction in plastic waste in Ghana. The project is part of an approximately 6-million-euro agreement signed in 2020 between the Government of Ghana, the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Inn ovation, and the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use, WASCAL. The plant is designed to address energy and sanitation challenges while promoting research and development in waste-to-energy technologies. Source: Ghana News Agency
- November 24, 2024
