Unlocking Energy from Waste: A Comprehensive Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste Recovery Potential in Ghana
Abstract
:1. Introduction
Research Questions
- What is the most sustainable waste-to-energy (WtE) option for managing Ghana’s waste crisis, considering environmental, economic, and social factors?
- How do the environmental impacts of incineration, anaerobic digestion, gasification, and landfill gas compare for waste management in Ghana?
- What are the characteristics of solid waste in Ghana?
- What is the economic feasibility of utilizing biogas from anaerobic digestion compared to traditional energy sources like light crude oil?
- What are the key obstacles hindering the development of WtE in Ghana?
- We hypothesize that anaerobic digestion will emerge as the most sustainable WtE option due to its potential for renewable energy production, valuable bio-product creation, and lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to other methods.
- We further hypothesize that utilizing biogas from anaerobic digestion will be more cost effective than relying on fossil fuels like light crude oil.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Eligibility and Exclusion Criteria
2.2. Systematic Review Process
3. Results and Discussions
3.1. Solid Waste Generation and Characteristics in Ghana
3.2. The State of Solid Waste Management in Ghana
3.3. Waste-to-Energy Technologies and Their Status in Ghana
3.3.1. Incineration
3.3.2. Anaerobic Digestion
3.3.3. Gasification
3.3.4. Landfill Gas (LFG)
3.4. Energy Potential from Municipal Solid Waste in Ghana
3.5. Adoption and Implementation of WtE Technologies
3.5.1. Socio-Economic Impact of WtE Technologies
3.5.2. Technical and Environmental Impact of WtE Technologies
3.6. WtE Technology Suitability Comparison for Ghana
3.7. Barriers to WtE Implementation in Developing Countries
3.8. Policies on WtE in Ghana
3.9. Incentives for Waste-to-Energy in Ghana
4. A Business Case for WtE in Ghana
- Biogas Cost per Unit Volume: USD 2.90 per 1000 ft3 translates to USD 0.103 per cubic meter (m3) (considering conversion from ft³ to m3).
- Daily Biogas Cost: Daily biogas production (1,226,805 m³) multiplied by the cost per cubic meter (USD 0.103) results in USD 126,659.36.
- Monthly Biogas Cost for 79.5 MW: Assuming biogas can generate 79.5 MW, the monthly cost is USD 126,659.36 × 30 days = USD 3,799,780.80.
- Biogas Cost for 200 MW: Since 200 MW is 2.51 times greater than 79.5 MW, the cost for 200 MW is USD 3,799,780.80 × 2.51 = USD 9,539,461.98.
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Criterion | Eligibility | Exclusion |
---|---|---|
Literature type | Journal (research/original articles) | Journals (reviews), chapters in book, conference proceedings, book series, |
Language | English | Non-English |
Timeline indexes | 2012–2022 | <2012 |
Indexes | Social Science Citation index, Art and Humanities Index, Science Citation Index | N/A |
Countries | Ghana, Africa and Global | N/A |
WtE | Parameter | Value |
---|---|---|
Biochemical potential (Anaerobic digestion) | Power generating potential (PGP) | 530 (KW per tMSW) |
Energy recovery potential (EPR) | 41.68(KWh per tMSW) | |
Biogas emission | 8.03 | |
Thermochemical potential (Gasification) | Power generating potential (PGP) | 1320(KW per tMSW) |
Energy recovery potential (EPR) | 106(KW per tMSW) |
WtE | Parameter | Value |
---|---|---|
Biochemical potential (Anaerobic digestion) | NCV | 0.218 |
K | 0.04 | |
Lo | 100 | |
ⴄ | 30% | |
Thermochemocal (Gasification) | NCV | 0.242 |
MSWx | 380 | |
ⴄ | 30% |
Author | Feedstock | Technology | Region | Energy Potential |
---|---|---|---|---|
[41] | Municipal solid waste (Kumasi) | Biogas (1 m3) | Kumasi | 0.00001 GWh |
[87] | Municipal solid waste | Incineration, landfilling | Ghana | 2 GWh |
[42] | Municipal solid waste | Gasification, plasma arc gasification, pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion | Ghana | 10.41, 4.63, 3.47, and 2.23 GWh respectively |
[90] | Municipal solid waste | WtE | Akosombo | 1.93 × 10−5 GWh |
[91] | Crop residues and animal manure | Biogas (2700 Mm3) | Ghana | 26.6 GWh |
[92] | Municipal solid waste | Biogas | Ga east | 0.00241 GWh |
[34] | Food waste | Anaerobic digestion | Kumasi | 0.00278 GWh |
[93] | Municipal solid waste | Anaerobic digestion | Ghana | 696.14 GWh/y |
[74] | Food waste | Anaerobic digestion | Accra | 80.43–300.49 GWh/y |
Author | Calorific Value |
---|---|
[34] | 14.8–16.6 MJ kg−1 |
[32] | 13.8 MJ/kg |
[94] | 14–20 MJ/kg |
[35] | 13.9–29.9 MJ/kg |
[90] | 29.9 MJ/kg |
[42] | 10.1 MJ/kg (direct measurement) and 9.32 MJ/kg (estimated) |
Policies/Strategies | Description as Regards Waste-to-Energy/Renewable Energy | Status |
---|---|---|
Ghana National Energy Policy (2010) | The policy document comprises Chapters 4, 5, and 6, which focus on the implementation of renewable energy, management of waste-to-energy systems, and the enhancement of energy efficiency. This statement underscores the necessity of enhancing support policies and engaging the private sector to promote the development of sustainable and efficient energy generation. Additionally, the policy emphasizes the importance of biofuel generation projects. Ghana has enormous potential for biomass management and waste-to-energy, particularly for the regeneration of woody biomass resources. | Existing |
Renewable Energy Act 2011, Act 832 | The ACT serves as a legal framework that governs the advancement, administration, utilisation, and sustainable provision of renewable energy sources for the purpose of producing heat and electricity, as well as addressing associated concerns in Ghana. | Existing |
Ghana Renewable Energy Policy Handbook (2022) | This resource provides a general overview of the primary policies that regulate the renewable energy sector within the nation. The report examines the renewable energy targets and plans, as well as the current policy framework, in order to provide projections of growth for the renewable energy industry in Ghana. | Existing |
Ministry of Energy | This state institution is tasked with the responsibility of developing policies pertaining to the power and petroleum industry in Ghana. | Existing |
Energy Commission Act, 1997 (Act 541) | The entity in charge of overseeing and controlling the utilisation of energy resources in Ghana, as well as coordinating all policies pertaining to them, is also responsible for regulating and granting licenses for the transmission, wholesale supply, distribution, and sale of electricity and natural gas in Ghana lies with the commission. It is also in charge of advocating for the advancement of biofuels as a viable option for transportation fuel and implementing suitable fiscal and tax measures to bolster the progress and adoption of renewable energy sources among others. | Existing |
Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission Act, 1997 (Act 538) | The Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission (PURC) was established in Ghana with the primary objective of regulating the provision of utility services within the country. | Existing |
Ghana Energy Development and Access Project (GEDAP) 2007 | The objective of this initiative is to enhance the availability of electricity in rural regions of Ghana by leveraging renewable energy sources. | Existing |
Renewable Energy Master Plan (REMP) (2019) | This policy document outlines Ghana’s objectives in the field of renewable energy, which entail augmenting the nation’s renewable energy composition from 42.5 MW in 2015 to 1363.63 MW by the year 2030. | Existing |
Energy Sector Strategy and Development Plan (ESSDP) (2010) | The primary objective is to facilitate the advancement of renewable energy and energy efficiency practices in Ghana. | N/A |
Sustainable energy for all (Se4all), 2016 | Se4all is an initiative to increase access to sustainable energy in Ghana and promote energy efficiency especially in rural areas in Ghana. | Existing |
National Electrification Scheme (NES), 1989 | The NES has the overall objective of providing universal access to electricity in Ghana over a 30-year period | N/A |
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Share and Cite
Tahiru, A.-W.; Cobbina, S.J.; Asare, W.; Takal, S.U. Unlocking Energy from Waste: A Comprehensive Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste Recovery Potential in Ghana. World 2024, 5, 192-218. https://doi.org/10.3390/world5020011
Tahiru A-W, Cobbina SJ, Asare W, Takal SU. Unlocking Energy from Waste: A Comprehensive Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste Recovery Potential in Ghana. World. 2024; 5(2):192-218. https://doi.org/10.3390/world5020011
Chicago/Turabian StyleTahiru, Abdul-Wahab, Samuel Jerry Cobbina, Wilhemina Asare, and Silas Uwumborge Takal. 2024. "Unlocking Energy from Waste: A Comprehensive Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste Recovery Potential in Ghana" World 5, no. 2: 192-218. https://doi.org/10.3390/world5020011