Jatropha Biofuels in Ghana Making Informed Policy Decisions

Global debates underpinning biofuels have pushed many governments to design policies to make the maximum benefits of the biofuels industry whilst minimising the associated costs. Issues on alternative sustainable energy sources, rural development and perceived competition between biofuel and food production bring a sense of urgency among many governments to have policies that guide production of biofuels

Techno-economic comparison of standalone solar PV and hybrid power systems for remote outdoor telecommunication sites in northern Ghana

Telecommunication services have continued to evolve to meet the ever-changing bandwidth demand requirements. The electricity grid network of Ghana is faced with challenges, including low voltages, a lack of quick fault response teams, and the proximity to specific locations. Using diesel generators to address the shortfall in grid supply is expensive and has implications for greenhouse gas emissions. This study evaluated the technical and economic benefits of using a standalone solar photovoltaic (PV) system, hybrid (Solar PV/diesel), conventional diesel generators (DG), and grid extension to power an off-grid outdoor telecommunication site. Power solutions configurations were simulated using hybrid optimization of multiple electric renewables (HOMER). The study found the optimum design to be a standalone solar PV/battery system with 56.3 kW solar PV array and Sixty (60) pieces of 12 V SAGM batteries of 135 Ah. The optimum design had a net present cost (NPC) of US$88,176.00 and a cost of energy (COE) of US$ 0.321/kWh. The COE and the NPC of the optimum system were approximately 50% less than the design with DG only, which could significantly impact service tariff and improve access to digital connectivity. The COE from the solar PV/battery system is not competitive with the grid power supply (COE = US$0.12). However, considering the electric distance limit or breakeven distance of 4.51km for grid extension, the solar PV/battery is preferred. Therefore, the stakeholders in providing power solutions to off-grid locations should consider solar PV technology

Operation and Maintenance of Small-Scale Biogas Digesters: Scoping Review and Bibliometric Analysis of Literature

Biogas technology has matured over the years and is gaining acceptance; however, challenges with optimum operation and maintenance of digesters are a massive hurdle for developing countries that threaten the successful adoption of the technology. The failures of biogas digesters leading to the low diffusion of the technology in developing countries have been attributed to several factors spanning from social to technical. This study employed a scoping review and bibliometric analysis to synthesize literature in the Scopus database to map and discuss scientific knowledge. The synthesized data suggest the need for real-time monitoring systems for the optimal operations and maintenance of small-scale biogas digesters. A bibliometric analysis with the VOSviewer software of the study suggested that there is limited research output from developing countries such as Ghana. It, therefore, necessitates the need for conscious commitments from stakeholders to invest resources to advance research to address the challenge.

Seaweed bioethanol production: A process selection review on hydrolysis and fermentation

The rapid depletion and environmental concerns associated with the use of fossil fuels has led to extensive development of biofuels such as bioethanol from seaweeds. The long-term prospect of seaweed bioethanol production however, depends on the selection of processes in the hydrolysis and fermentation stages due to their limiting effect on ethanol yield. This review explored the factors influencing the hydrolysis and fermentation stages of seaweed bioethanol production with emphasis on process efficiency and sustainable application. Seaweed carbohydrate contents which are most critical for ethanol production substrate selection were 52 ± 6%, 55 ± 12% and 57 ± 13% for green, brown and red seaweeds, respectively. Inhibitor formation and polysaccharide selectivity were found to be the major bottlenecks influencing the efficiency of dilute acid and enzymatic hydrolysis, respectively. Current enzyme preparations used, were developed for starch-based and lignocellulosic biomass but not seaweeds, which differs in polysaccharide composition and structure. Also, the identification of fermenting organisms capable of converting the heterogeneous monomeric sugars in seaweeds is the major factor limiting ethanol yield during the fermentation stage and not the SHF or SSF pathway selection. This has resulted in variations in bioethanol yields, ranging from 0.04 g/g DM to 0.43 g/g DM

Mini-grid electricity service based on local agricultural residues: Feasibility study in rural Ghana

Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

How climate policies can translate to tangible change: Evidence from eleven low- and lower-middle income countries

Formally adopting climate change mitigation policies does not necessarily translate to tangible change on the ground. Here, we analyse 31 semi-structured interviews with climate policy government officials and consultants from 11 low-income and lower-middle income countries (LMICs) as well as the respective climate policy context, and find high average degrees of perceived discrepancies between formally adopted climate change mitigation policies and their actual implementation. Our results suggest that for our LMIC sample, both the global political process to limit climate change and domestic environmental threats have been key to drive the formal adoption of climate change mitigation policies, but have had limited effect on implementation. By contrast, momentum for implementation of climate change mitigation initiatives and projects on the ground emerges where climate policies are firmly embedded within economic and social development policies, the economy and society are comparably well-positioned to embrace the associated change, and where they have been governed by cross-ministerial institutions capable of implementing wider climate-compatible development pathways. Thus, to help translate climate policy into action, national LMIC governments and the international community need to find context-specific ways to successfully integrate climate with economic and social development policies, identify and build on feasible opportunities and competitive advantages through which the local economy can benefit from green growth, build adequate social capital, and actively create institutional spaces and processes for well-equipped and meaningful cross-ministerial co-beneift governance. The importance of unlocking co-benefits for implementing climate policies underlines both the urgency with which the international community needs to increase finance for LMICs for climate change mitigation, as well as the associated development opportunities

Evaluating the Success of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policies in Ghana: Matching the Policy Objectives against Policy Instruments and Outcomes

Advancement in energy policies has stimulated the adoption of instruments used in the renewable energy sector and climate change mitigation. Renewable energy policies play a crucial role in the abatement of greenhouse gas emissions, by providing access to modern energy and energy security by diversifying energy supply. There have been numerous policies developed in Ghana to improve the uptake of renewable energy for electricity production and to ensure efficient use of electrical energy. Some of the specific government policy objectives include reducing technical and commercial losses in power supply, support the modernization and expansion of the energy infrastructure to meet the growing demands, ensure reliability and accelerate the development and utilisation of renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies. These policies have defined targets and period to be implemented. This chapter outlined the renewable energy and energy efficiency policies in Ghana by matching the policy objectives against policy instruments and outcomes to measure what has been achieved. A comparative analysis was made with South Africa and Morocco’s renewable energy sectorial policies on the basis of various strategies adopted to their achievements and what Ghana can learn from