Let’s use waste to generate energy - Entrepreneur

Mrs Kate Quartey-Papafio, Chairperson for Electricals and Electronics Sector of Association of Ghana Industries, has called on stakeholders in the industry to be innovative in recycling waste into energy.

The Entrepreneur said well-coordinated ideas with respect to the country’s waste, if harnessed properly, with the requisite technology would lead to wealth creation and job opportunities for Ghanaians.

Mrs Quartey-Papafio, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Reroy Cables Limited a subsidiary of Reroy Group, made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra.

She said organic waste is one of the untapped sources of natural energy, while biogas is undoubtedly the best kept secret in the renewable energy industry.

She said India for example has more than 4.5 million digesters which harness biogas energy and only a small number of digesters have been built successfully and inaugurated in the country, a loss to the renewable industry sector.

Mrs Quartey-Papafio explained that biogas refers to the gas, which is produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter such as dead plant matter, animal manure and all kinds of waste could easily be converted into biogas in a simple biogas digester.

Biogas consists mainly of methane and carbon dioxide, which could be used as fuel for cooking, lighting, water heating as well as run biogas generators to produce electricity.

Biogas provides a clean, easily controlled source of renewable energy from available organic waste for a small labour input, replacing firewood or fossil fuels, which are becoming more expensive as demand outweighs the supply.

The Entrepreneur indicated that biogas fulfills all of the criteria relating to environmental sustainability, requires a relatively low technological input and cost effective to implement.

She said using biogas instead of traditional resources such as electricity or gas to provide this functionality, energy costs could be reduced drastically and provide quick return on investment for biogas solutions.

“Other countries have used this technology, and we cannot afford to be left out, we need to wake up and face the reality to innovate and think forward in making good use of these waste into viable economic venture for national development,” she added.

Mrs Quartey-Papafio noted that most of the natural disasters and diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea are as a result of the country’s inability to “walk the talk” by converting waste into energy production.

“It behoves all and sundry to increase the quality of life for all people without increasing environmental disorders and compromising the resource needs of future generations to ensure sustainable development.”