Professor Elvis Asare-Bediako, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) has underscored the University’s commitment to the concept of sustainability and sustainable development through effective partnerships.
He emphasised that through partnerships the University had established the Regional Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability, Earth Observation Research and Innovation Centre, Centre for Climate Change and Gender Studies, and Centre for Research in Applied Biology.
Prof. Bediako was speaking at the opening of the Kick-off workshop and sod-cutting ceremony of the “Level up” Waste-to-Energy Project at the University in Sunyani.
The project is being funded at the cost of 3.8 million Euros by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
The international participating institutions are Novis GmbH, Tübingen and AHT Syngas Technology, Ratingen in Germany as well as CONA from Ried im Traunkreis and NeyerBrainworks GmbH, Bludenz in Austria.
UENR is the partner Ghanaian University with Abellon CleanEnergy Ghana Ltd, Oti Yeboah Complex Ltd, Zoomlion Company Ltd, GRATIS Foundation, Green WaterHut (NGO), Energy Commission, Forestry Commission and the Sunyani Municipal Assembly as the other local partners that are supporting the project.
The overall objective of the project is to research into the technical and economic feasibility of a decentralised energy system based on local biogenic residues for the reliable and sustainable supply of electricity, heating, cooling and biogas in West Africa with special focus on Ghana.
In view of that, a multi-component research plant is being developed and implemented together with the partner companies at the Sunyani campus of UENR and the plant would consist of biomass preparation (including solar thermal drying), biomass gasification, biomass fermentation and refrigeration (absorption refrigeration plant).
Prof. Asare-Bediako said UENR was deeply involved as a key player in some important waste-to-energy projects across the country, citing the “Hybrid Waste-to-Energy as a solution for Ghana” project, which converts 12 tons of waste into electricity and fertilizer per day.
Other waste projects he mentioned were the, “Renewable Energies for Africa: Effective Valorization of Agri-Food Wastes” project and now the “LevelUp Waste-to-Energy” upgrading local markets using biogenic residues.
He explained the University approached its programmes and research by emphasising inter-disciplinary collaboration considering areas affecting natural resources such as economics, law and policy, management, science, technology and engineering, social and political issues.
Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister who presided said for the country to survive and be sustainable, it required robust knowledge and skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics, and Innovation, saying Scientists and Engineers stood tall in turning waste into usable forms to ensuring sustainable development.
She described the project as essential in an era of rising expectations but limited resources to meeting those expectations, and therefore lauded the workshop as timely to give a boost to the deployment and processing of the local waste resources.
“Such expertise will be helpful to the development of our districts and municipalities because it can inspire our local experts to work harder to make the waste-to-energy concept a success on all fronts”, Mad. Owusu-Banahene stated.