The promotion of small and medium-scale enterprise (SMEs) participation in institutional biogas technology penetration has been identified as one of the five key priority energy related Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) in Ghana. This is in line with the country’s pursuit for low carbon development options which is identified in the national climate change policy (2014) as well as the sustainable development objectives articulated in the Ghana Shared Growth Development Agenda (GSGDA).
To bring biogas as a low carbon energy source to a significant higher level in Ghana, the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) action plan intends to promote the establishment of institutional biogas systems for up to 200 boarding schools, hospitals and prisons.
Biogas systems are technically feasible in Ghana At least 400 biogas systems have been built in Ghana, pre-dominantly using the fixed-dome, floating drum and Puxin technologies. The main reason to build a biogas system is to improve the sanitation situation. Although there are several issues with existing biogas systems, many of these systems are functioning well. To ensure long term sustainability, specific attention needs to be paid to:
- Development and enforcement of standards for biogas digesters and quality control of system design, construction and maintenance
- Financial commitment from buyers / beneficiaries throughout the system lifetime, ensuring both maintenance and proper operation.
The biogas private sector is ready to implement biogas
About 10 companies and organisations in Ghana have experience with the design, construction and maintenance and operation of biogas systems. At least six private companies have a good or very good knowledge base and technical experience, having built 10-100 systems each in recent years. These six have expressed their interest in cooperating / participating in a national institutional biogas programme and were present at both stakeholder workshops.
Activities structured under 6 activity lines
Based on other National Biogas Programmes in both Asia and Africa and the barriers to be tackled in Ghana to further the development of a well-functioning biogas market in Ghana, six activity lines are proposed for the NIBP
- Program Management Unit & Steering Committee (including policy development and enforcement)
- Program funding & biogas financing schemes
- Awareness raising & Marketing
- Training program & Private sector development
- Standard setting & Quality control
- Research & Technological development (including impact monitoring)
A National Institutional Biogas Programme (NIBP) is desirable
There is an urge felt by all relevant stakeholders in Ghana to take institutional biogas for sanitation a step forward. An inter-departmental approach targeting sanitation, renewable energy, private sector development and securing agriculture benefits is most likely to succeed. The Energy Commission is committed to lead this process in close collaboration with MoP, MESTI, EPA and other relevant stakeholders.
