The facility, which combines solar photovoltaic (PV), biogas and pyrolysis technologies to treat solid waste and generate power, is the first of its kind to be installed in the country.

The project was executed through the joint efforts of the German government under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL).

Other partners include the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Kumasi Technical University, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, amongst others.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in a speech read on his behalf at the inaugural ceremony, said the project was expected to contribute to the nation’s quest to find a long-term solution to the menace of solid waste.

“The technologies offered on the project will help us clean our environment and generate energy that would comprise solar, biogas and pyrolysis gas,” he noted.

The President said the facility would help close the communal carbon cycle by developing the value chain of the process with the production and utilization of compost, which would be sold to farmers to boost agriculture and cut down on mineral fertilizer.

Additionally, it would contribute to Ghana’s climate change mitigation strategy as well as the inclusion of renewable energy.

President Nana Akufo-Addo lauded all the agencies involved in the successful execution of the project, saying the government remained committed to the cause of sustainable energy technologies for accelerated development.

His administration would continue to work with stakeholders to expand the base of renewable energy for the country’s benefit.

Dr. Francis Agyenim Boateng, a member of the WASCAL Board, indicated that the project was informed by the need to develop concepts for waste segregation and the conversion of various fractions of municipal solid waste into energy.

Dr. Stefan Kaufmann, a Representative of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, said the German Government had resolved to work with Ghana in finding a lasting solution to solid waste in the country.

Source: GNA